Gutsy and Silver Stars: Curse of Kirara
by YinYangofthePeaceCircle
Summary: Gutsy, Silver Stars, and Kirara are being chased by Kirara's sister Kagura, ending up in New York! With the Demon Bear and Gargamel teamed up, what can the unlikely team of Smurfs and wolves do? Plus, enter four human girls turned Smurf!*Was Crossover* RR
1. Kirara the Demon: A Killer?

Ok, I am typing the first chapter of _Gutsy and Silver Stars: Curse of the Demon Kirara_!

Yay!

Alright, first things first:

Sasuke is orange, white-striped, and controls fire, heat, and light. His name roughly means 'Warrior'.

Jaiken is pure black and controls darkness, shadows, and fear. His name means 'Evil Sight'.

Sakura is gray and white. She can become a huge demon-like wolf (like Kirara). Her name means 'Cherry Blossom'.

InuYasha is red and white. He has no power. His name means 'Dog Demon'.

Sesshomaru is yellow and white. He has no power. His name means 'Killing Perfection'.

Miroku is a brown and white pup. He has no power. His name means 'Buddha of the Future'.

Sango is an amber-colored pup. She has no power. Her name means 'Coral'.

Kohaku is an amber colored male pup. He has no power. His name means 'Amber'.

Kagome is a white, black, and gray pup. She has no power. Her name means, roughly, 'Woven Basket Pattern'.

Kikyo is a white, black and gray pup. She has no power, though it may have something to do with her pebbles. Her name means, roughly, 'Bellflower'.

SUMMARRY: After many months, Silver Stars and Storm have started their lives beside Smurf Village, protecting and helping their little blue friends.

However, peace is a luxury they cannot afford. As their lives become more complicated with Kohaku running into the forest, things get worse when there are confronted by the new Demon of the Forest….Silver Stars's old friend Kirara!

Can Silver Stars save Kohaku?

Can she regain her friendship in Kirara?

What part is she to play in this new tale?

And perhaps most importantly…just what is planning to kill off the inhabitants of Smurf Village!

Chapter One: Demon Kirara: A Killer!

Silver Stars smiled as her mate, Storm, returned, a fresh rabbit in his mouth. At the sight of their father's latest kill, InuYasha and Sesshomaru came racing up.

"Yum! First bite!" InuYasha called greedily.

"Not if I beat you to it," snapped Sesshomaru, nipping at the rabbit's fluffy tail.

"Don't!" whined InuYasha. "It's not fair! Mom, tell him it's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair," Storm told his son, placing the rabbit on the rocky ground.

As the pack of pups dove onto the carcass, Storm sat down next to Silver.

"How's your back?" he asked, sniffing at the long, deadly score marks given to his mate by a grizzly bear a week ago.

"It's fine, Storm!" shrugged Silver. "Papa's been giving me some potions for it."

"Oh. Ok, then."

"Honestly. Anyone would think I can't fight!"

"Hi, Silver! Hi, Storm!"

"Oh, hi, Smurfette! What's up, Hefty?"

"Nothin' much. Just taking Baby Smurfette for a walk," Hefty told them, gesturing to the little Smurf's baby carriage.

Silver smiled. "Hello, Little One," she cooed.

Baby Smurfette giggled, waving at the wolf above her.

"Hi." Storm smirked, "You like wolves, do you? Brave little girl, aren't you?"

" Teaser," snapped Silver, whacking him affectionately with one paw.

"PAPA! SILVER STARS! STORM! QUINTELLE!"

Quintelle looked up from her nap. "Whazzat?" She asked groggily.

"That's what I'm wondering," Silver assured her.

"THERE'S A DEAD DEER IN THE FOREST!" yelled Handy, racing up to them.

"You saw it too, Tracker?" asked Papa Smurf, approaching them.

Tracker nodded, too busy panting to reply.

"Storm?" asked Silver. "Is that your kill?"

"No," said Storm quickly. "I ate a shrew, I swear! Swear to Canis!"

"We get it," snapped Silver. "You want me to find out what killed it?"

"You don' need ta, ya jus' need ta catch it," Gutsy told her.

"What was it?"

"A white, black-marked Wolf Demon," Gutsy told her, "with fire around her paws."

_Don't tell me…_thought Silver Stars, horrified. _Not…Kirara!_

_Kirara is a Wolf Demon in this, not a Cat Demon like in InuYasha._

_All of the new pups and Jaiken have names from the InuYasha series._

_Sakura and Sasuke's names come from Ginga Nagareboshi Gin and Ginga Densetsu Weed._

_READ AND REVIEW! PLEASE! PLEASE! I BEG OF YOU! REVIEWERS ARE THE BACKBONE TO EVERY STORY ON THIS SITE!_


	2. In the Eyes of My Friend

Hi. ONWARD!

Chapter Two: In the Face of My Friend

Silver Stars eyes were misty.

_Kirara couldn't have done this...could she! _Silver demanded silently.

"You're very quiet, Silver." Papa murmured. "Something wrong?"

"Something is very wrong," Silver muttered, dashing towards her pups.

"What?"

"I know the Demon!"

"You know her? How?"

"Simple. She saved my life, I saved her Master's. That's how Sango got her name...That was Kirara's Master..."

"You think she is the killer?" asked Storm.

"Kirara is no murderer!" snarled Silver. "I named all my pups for her companions! And she saved me from that grizzly bear! Kirara saved my life!"

"So...why did she kill the deer...?" asked Handy.

"Kirara..." muttered Silver restlessly. "Kirara...is here..."

"Um, Silver?" Storm questioned.

"What now?"

"Where's Kohaku?"

"Kohaku?" Silver looked down at where her amber son should be.

Should be.

"KOHAKU!" yowled Silver, horrified. "KOHAKU IS IN THE FOREST...WITH A DEMON!"

=^.^=

"KOHAKU! KOHAKU!" called Sakura, searching desperatly for her half-brother.

"Kohaku! Come out, Kohaku! Joke's not funny anymore!" Jaiken called soothingly.

"It never was funny!" snapped Silver. "KOHAKU! IF YOU DON'T COME OUT RIGHT NOW, I SWEAR TO CANIS-"

"MOMMY!" yowled Kohaku, in a terrified little voice. "KOHAKU!" Silver Stars barreled toward her small son's voice. "KOHAKU!"

She stopped. A huge, massively huge white Wolf Demon with black markings and two tails stood before her.

"THAT'S IT! THE DEMON! SILVER, KILL IT!" called Handy.

The demon had black ears, black paws, black stripes on her tail, and a black slash down the middle of her face, from forehead to muzzle. The blood red eyes of Kirara glinted in bloodlust.

Her eyes were bright, and in her jaws, clutched by two monster canines, like the teeth of a saber-toothed tiger, was... a grizzly bear's severed, blood-matted head.

The bear's maw was open, fangs bared as if for attack.

"Kirara..." whispered Silver. "SAKURA! USE YOUR POWER!"

"GRRROOOWWWRRRLLF!" snarled Sakura, as she became a gray version of Kirara, complete with red eyes and huge fangs.

"KIRARA!" she roared, "COME! MEET YOUR MATCH! I'LL SEND YOU TO HELL FOR KOHAKU!"

"SAKURA...?" asked Kirara.

"WHA...?" Sakura was caught off guard; she had thought Kirara had gone mad! What was this?

"THEN...SILVER? WHERE IS KOHAKU?"

"I-what? Kirara! You killed that deer?"

"NO," rasped the huge Demon. "THAT WAS THE DOING OF MY YOUNGER SISTER...KAGURA! HOW WOULD THE DESTRUCTION OF THIS FOREST LOOK IN THE EYES OF MY FRIEND? THAT IS WHY KAGURA IS DESTROYING THIS FOREST INSTEAD OF ANOTHER."

=^.^=

KIRARA!

What think you?

READ, REVIEW, TELL YOUR FRIENDS! THANK YOU FOR READING EVERYONE!


	3. Arrival of Kagura, Kidnapping of Kohaku!

Hahahahaha. Here's a joke I need to get out of my system:

I saw a guy get hit by a car. NAILED. He was hit by a Dodge, which I find ironic.

~Dane Cook

Chapter Three: Arrival of Kagura, Kidnapping of Kohaku!

"KIRARA! COME ON, COME JOIN US!"

"WELL..." the Wolf Demon hesitated. "SANGO IS NO LONGER IN NEED OF ME..."

"What? Why not?"

"SHE AND HER COMPANIONS, INUYASA, MIROKU, KAGOME,AND SHIPPO FINALLY DEFEATED THEIR ENEMY."

"Hi!" called a small Fox Demon child.

"OH, YEAH, SHIPPO IS IN MY CARE NOW," Kirara added.

"Fine with us! Shippo is welcome to come to our home!"

"Yay! Can we, Kirara? Can we?"

"IF YOU WISH IT, SHIPPO," conceded the white-black Wolf Demon.

"YEAH!" Shippo jumped off of Kirara's back, calling, "Look out for the balloon!"

"Huh?" asked InuYasha, just as Shippo changed his shape, becoming a sort of large balloon with huge orb eyes, a tiny half-circle mouth, and four tiny sticks with one tiny ball on the end of each one.

"Auugh!" yelped InuYasha, as Shippo landed on him.

"KIRAAARRRAAA? YOOOUUU AAARRRREE IIINNN MMMMMYYY FFFFFOOORRREESSTTT?" demanded a raspy, deadly voice from the undergrowth and trees.

"KAGURA? YOU ARE NOT THE LORD OF THIS FOREST! LEAVE NOW!"

"YOOOOUUU DDDAAAAAAAARRRRREE DDDDEEEEEFFFFYYY MMMEEE, SSIIISSTTTEEERRR?" asked the voice.

The Demon appeared: A giant, deadly grizzly bear!

"KAGURA!"

And clutched in the Demon Bear's maw...

"KOHAKU!" screamed Silver Stars.

=^.^=

I swear, this chapter should have been posted correctly...I'm gonna fix it now, but I don't know what happened, so please don't shoot me and post you another chapter tomorrow.


	4. An Attack and a Mishap

**Aiko:**

**Pronounced: EYE-koh**

**Meaning: Love Child**

_Chapter Four: An Attack and a Mishap_

She had no way of knowing, the young teen, as she pulled a baseball cap out of her dresser drawer and carefully placed it on her neatly styled hair. Taking more care then was strictly necessary, she pulled the ponytail through the hole in the cap.

Her name was Aiko, which meant 'Love Child' in Japanese. She was about fourteen, and she hated sports, social life, and just about everything in between. In fact, since her best friend, Kelly, had died two years ago, Aiko had become moody, solemn, and somewhat depressed. On the outside.

On the inside, Aiko hated everyone. _No one understood. _No one else, except Kelly's family, felt even a fraction of the pain Aiko felt when the bright, bouncy blonde died.

She was dying on the inside.

But she pretended to be fine. She didn't show her depression except in her writing. She wrote constantly.

_Why does no one see_

_The pain I feel inside?_

_Can no one hear my screams?_

_Silent as they are?_

_Can no one see the pain?_

_Are humans all_

_Just_

_Blind?_

Not her best work, but it had come from the heart. Aiko nervously adjusted her glasses. Her three friends, Sadie, Janice, and Kenzie, were coming by to pick her up for a day at the mall. Usually she wouldn't be caught dead in the mall. She'd only ever gone with Kelly, and even Kelly had had to drag her there, clawing and kicking the whole way.

The doorbell rang. Swallowing her resentment, Aiko walked to the door. "Hi, guys…."

=^.^=

Silver Stars snarled at Kagura. "PUT MY BABY DOWN!"

Kagura just sneered, then tossed Kohaku aside. The pups jumped for Kohaku in a protective manner.

Kagura snatched up Jaiken as he shot past. Jaiken writhed in her grip, snarling and clawing at her.

Kagura obviously couldn't hold on much longer and tossed him at a large maple tree.

Snarling, Silver Stars attacked Kagura. She dug her teeth in the Demon's throat.

Growling, Kagura shoved Silver off of her with one clawed paw. "You win this time, Kirara!" She snarled. "But I will be back to get my revenge soon!"

=^.^=

Aiko felt a blush coloring her cheeks as Janice, one of here friends, and whispered, "He got drunk last night, and he threw up. Sorry."

"Not your fault," Janice told her, but she was clearly bothered by the scent.

"Come on," Sadie ordered. "Let's go to the mall!"

=^.^=

Kenzie looked over at Aiko. "Look, let's go to the bookstore you like next, okay?"

Aiko just shrugged, but Sadie grinned. "Good idea, Kenzie! Let's go, Aiko!"

Janice gave the others withering glances as she followed them. _So much for Abercrombie and Fitch, _she thought grumpily.

Once inside the store, Aiko wandered aimlessly among the shelves, searching for something that sounded remotely interesting, until she came to a book called _The Spells, Hexes, Jinxes, Potions, and Enchantments of Medieval Times_.

Intrigued, she picked up the heavy novel. Inside were things like, 'How to Perform a Proper Kissing Curse', 'Which Ingredients Are Fresh and How to Properly Tell', 'Potion For Gold', and 'Ultimate Smurfing Spell, (Good for 4)'.

"That looks interesting," Kenzie offered.

"Sure, but I never brought any money. I'll come back later."

"A cool book like that? It will be gone in a few hours max!" Kenzie argued. "I'll buy it for you, and no buts. Besides, it's almost lunchtime. We'll have a quick stop at the Food Court, then head home."

"Who's home?" asked Janice, who was holding a bag labeled with the bookstore's name and address. "Mine? Yours? Sadie's?"

"We'll go to Aiko's house."

Janice looked a little horrified but didn't protest. "Sure, Kenzie, whatever you say!"

Kenzie paid for the book, and, with Aiko, Janice, and Sadie at her heels, headed purposefully toward the Food Court.

=^.^=

Aiko was flipping slowly through her new book, inspecting each page. Sometimes she merely glanced at the headings, other times read about an entire jinx or hex.

"That one looks cool," said Sadie, looking at a 'Helping Hex'. "What's it supposed to do?"

"It says here, _'The entirely simple Helping Hex is wonderful to use on enemies or friends. There are no horrible side-effects, save a possibility of the hexed to become more compliant to your demands. The Helping Hex is used to force another to become helpless to obeying your commands. Often used as a prank, the Helping Hex is often printed in Joke Spell Books. Keep in mind that the effect depends on the intensity of the Spell-Caster and the frequency of the demands.'_"

"Definitely cool!" Sadie said, grinning. "Can I see that a sec, Aiko?"

"Sure," replied the other. "I'll go take our orders to Kenzie."

"How much you wanna bet this spell, or, excuse me, hex, works?" Sadie challenged Janice.

"Twenty-five bucks," Janice grinned, slamming the bills on the table. "You're wasting your money, Sadie."

"We'll see," Sadie replied cockily.

She suddenly grinned, "Janice, Janice, heed my call, time to help me or none at all!"

Janice shook her head. "None at all."

"Really?" asked Sadie. "Go buy me a soda."

Janice suddenly sat up and, after standing and shooting her friend a helpless glance, headed off to the soda machine.

=^.^=

"It worked?" Kenzie looked amazed as she drove back to Aiko's house. "That's awesome! I'll bet some of the others work too, then!"

"Probably," agreed Janice, who was sitting shotgun.

"We can test it at home," offered Aiko.

"Sweet!" Sadie howled. She seemed to be on some sort of high. "This is awesome! Best purchase ever, girls!"

"Agreed!" Kenzie and Janice clinked their soda cans together as Sadie and Aiko laughed and id the same.

When they arrived, Aiko's dad was waiting.

"Where were you?" he demanded.

"The mall. I told you I was going last night, remember?"

He paused. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Next time, though, leave a note, okay, sweetheart?"

"Okay, Dad."

Aiko led the others upstairs before shrieking into her pillow. "He's so aggravating! I told him! _I told him-_"

"It's okay, Aiko," Kenzie soothed.

"I hate him! I really do!" Aiko growled, flinging the unfortunate pillow at the door.

"Come on," Sadie grinned. "Let's try another spell!"

"Ok." Aiko sat beside them on the floor.

"You pick one, Aiko. It's your book," Kenzie ordered.

"Ok. Let's try…" Aiko paused, searching. "The Ultimate Smurfing Spell, (Good for 4)."

"Sweet! All of us!" Sadie smiled.

"Kenzie can read," Aiko decided. "I can't figure some of the words out."

Kenzie read a complicated spell that was obviously in a foreign language.

Suddenly, a huge swirling watery cloud-like vortex opened up before them.

"That's not good," Janice voiced.

Suddenly, they felt themselves being pulled to it.

"Definitely not good!" shrieked Sadie, as she disappeared inside with Kenzie, Janice, Aiko, and the book.


	5. Gutsy and Silver Meet Aiko and the Gang

Chapter Five: Silver Stars and Gutsy Meet Aiko and the Gang

Janice sat up first, rubbing the back of her head. "Ow…I think I hit a rock or something…."

Kenzie sat up too, looking worried. "Are you alright? I mean you might have-AAAAUUGGHHH!" She suddenly shrieked, staring at Janice.

"What? What's-AUUUGGHHH!"

Sadie sat up. "When I get knocked unconscious I'd prefer not to be woken up by your screeching, and-AUUUUGGHHH!"

Aiko sat up as well, staring at her friends staring at each other. "Well, don't you all look cute and blue?" She asked, a hint of teasing in her voice.

Sadie gasped. "No way! Me too?" She scrambled toward a nearby babbling brook. "Cool! I'm blue!"

"Cool!" Mimicked Janice. "You're a weirdo!"

"We're…blue," said Kenzie slowly. "What's going on?"

"Either this is what the spell does or you mixed up a word," called Sadie. "But I'm pretty sure that if you say something wrong the spell doesn't work. So we're probably good."

"Cheery, aren't you?" asked Janice. "Seriously, though, what if we're tiny and blue forever? Then what?"

"Then we live in a forest with an awesome magic book that can do pretty much anything!"

"I can live with that," Sadie agreed.

"Me, too," Kenzie nodded.

At that moment, a huge giant leaped out from behind a boulder to attack them. A giant tabby cat strode at his heels.

"Well, look at that! Four little Smurfs, all by themselves!" The giant growled in a jeering tone.

"This probably isn't good," Janice guessed.

"I concur," Sadie stammered, backing toward her friend.

"That book has it in for us," Kenzie decided.

Aiko tossed the book to Kenzie. "Shut up! Run into the forest with this, and I'll distract him."

"Not a good idea!" Kenzie snarled.

"Too bad," snapped Aiko. "Watch and learn. I saw his picture in the book. I have an idea.

Aiko looked up at the old wizard. "Oh Great Giant Gargamel, why are you here picking on lowly creatures such as me and my friends? Surely a truly gifted giant such as yourself has better things to do?"

The giant, Gargamel, looked surprised, but replied. "I suppose to you I am a giant, but I am really the Great _Wizard _Gargamel. I hunt you Smurfs because I have recipes and potions that will only work if I add the final ingredient: your kind!"

"Really?" asked Aiko. "That's fascinating. Could you explain that a particular potion, please?"

"The one I am most eager to try is one for gold. The first thing I'll need to do after catching you is-"

As the wizard rambled, Janice, Sadie, and Kenzie snuck off toward the forest, Kenzie clutching the magical book to her chest.

Aiko glanced back to Gargamel and the cat. The cat, however, was looking at her slightly strangely. It was gesturing at her with one paw as if to say, _Go on, get going! Before he notices!_

Aiko really didn't want to trust the cat, but it was her best shot.

Aiko charged into the forest. Behind her, she heard the wizard yell. "_Azrael, you stupid cat! You let them get away! Catch them, you idiot feline!_"

The cat charged at her, yowling, but then ran past her. Aiko wondered if it was headed for Janice, Sadie, or Kenzie. But it charged past them, too.

_ _Whatever's going on, _thought Aiko, _It's definitely wacked out!__

__=^.^=__

Silver Stars yawned and stretched, her muscles pulling taut. She grinned at Jaiken. "How are you, honey?" She asked, looking at her pure, black-furred son.

"Sore. That stupid Demon Bear threw me into a tree."

"Oh dear." Silver Stars inspected his shoulder. "Kagura really hit you hard, didn't she, sweetheart?"

"Yeah." Jaiken rolled his shoulder, painfully attempting to help it get used to movement again.

"I'll have Storm make you a poultice, okay, dear?"

"Thanks, Mom. I'm gonna go lie down now."

"All right, my dear."

Gutsy Smurf suddenly jumped out from behind a berry bush. "Hi, Silver! Hi, Laddie!" he added to Jaiken. "Hey, Silver? Azrael is stalking around the Village."

"He hasn't gotten too close, has he?"

"No, but he's yowling like mad. I think he's looking for you."

"Something's probably wrong," Silver fretted. "I'm going after her. Jaiken, I'll tell Storm to make you that poultice or I'll have Sakura or someone else."

"Thanks, Mom."

"I can do it," offered Hefty, stepping out from the same berry bush Gutsy had appeared from.

"Thanks."

The silvery-gray wolf ran to the Village. "_Azreal! Come on out, Azrael! What's wrong with you? Just get your furry self over here now!_"

The tabby appeared suddenly. "Silver Stars! Thank Canis I found you!"

"Really. You're a cat. Canis is the Wolf Goddess. Don't you have Felis and Catus?"

"Yeah, wasn't sure if you knew them and I know Canis and Lupus, so, you know. But Gargamel's chasing four Smurfs over by Pine Reed Brook."

"Smurfs?" asked Gutsy. "I'll go! I'd like to trick that stupid old wizard some more!"

"Sometimes I think you're too brave," Silver Stars said, shaking her shaggy head.

Silver Stars and Gutsy were racing toward the brook. "If you pull anything stupid…" Silver trailed off, allowing Gutsy to put an ending to the sentence.

"Right," Gutsy nodded. "You help the Smurfs. What do you wanna bet one of them is Grouchy?"

"What do you wanna bet all four are different Smurfs than the ones that live in the Village?"

"That's weird. Just four?"

"According to Azrael and my nose, yeah."

"All right then! This should be fun!"

"Right." Silver stopped a few feet from the brook. "Have fun, you Scottish Terror…."

Silver turned to sniff the air. "Where are you, you little Smurfs?"

She turned, following the scent to a nearby fir tree. "Nice move," she complimented. "Climbing a tree would definitely get you away from that old washed up wizard." She jumped onto the trunk. "I can climb too, you know," she muttered. "You'd be surprised how many wolves can't. It's kind of sad, really."

She climbed onto a thick branch quickly. A young, pretty little Smurf with blonde hair and a green shirt and black skirt. "Hi," Silver greeted her. "I'm Silver Stars."

"You're a wolf," the Smurf stammered.

"Yes, I am. Who are you?"

"Kenzie," said the Smurf nervously.

"Well, Kenzie, I think it's about time to get your friends and foil the stupid old Gargamel's newest plan. Won't that be fun?"

"Sure will!" called another Smurf with medium length wavy mahogany hair.

"Um, are you going to eat us?" asked a redhead with long hair.

"No," Silver promised. "No eating." She grinned as a brown-blonde Smurf appeared as well. "Smurf's honor."

=^.^=

Gutsy danced past Gargamel as the wizard snatched wildly at him.

"Get over here, you stupid Smurf! I can't chase you all day!"

_Good, _thought Gutsy, suddenly feeling slightly cocky. _Let's take this to a whole other level! Ready for some fun, Gargamel?_

Gutsy jumped onto Gargamel, before jumping onto a tree branch, snatching up a vine, and jumped back onto Gargamel. He began tying the wizard up, hands behind his back, making the wizard lose his balance and fall onto the ground.

"Hey! Silver! C'mere, please!"

The wolf came bounding up. "What, Gutsy?"

"Can you put your paw here?"

"What?"

"You know, like gift-wrapping."

"Seriously?" Silver paused. "Don't answer that."

She placed her paw where Gutsy and indicated.

After the wizard was wrapped up like a Christmas present, Silver snatched Gutsy up with one claw and tossed him onto her back.

"Come on. Back home we go."

She dashed off through the forest. As the wolf ran, Gutsy sat next to the new Smurfs.

"Hi!" he grinned. "I'm Gutsy. Who are you?"

A blonde Smurf gave him a tiny wave. "I'm Kenzie."

"I'm Janice," the redhead smiled.

"Sadie," grinned the brunette.

The brown-blonde Smurf just shrugged, not speaking.

"Miss Silent Treatment over there is Aiko," added Kenzie. "Don't worry about it. She doesn't talk that much. Our friend Kelly almost had to pry her jaws open to make her talk to us!"

Aiko shot her a glance filled with hatred.

Kenzie clapped her hands over her mouth, and Janice and Sadie covered her mouth too. When they took their hands away, Janice growled, "Don't talk about Kelly! You know how Aiko feels about that!"

"I'm sorry, Aiko, it was a stupid mistake," Kenzie whispered. "I'm so sorry. Will you forgive me?"

Aiko shrugged, then opened her arms, and Kenzie quickly hugged her.

Gutsy looked confused, but Sadie just mouthed, _We'll explain it all later. Promise._


	6. Aiko's Secret Tortures

(Secret: MOVIE HAPPENS IN THIS STORY. HA! Brainy's problem is going on right now, so I will be mentioning all those goings on with Silver and Gutsy out of the village.)

Chapter Six: Aiko's Secret Tortures

Aiko suddenly stared. "What's that?"

They were about five feet from the village. Silver Stars glanced back. "The village."

"How many…'Smurfs'?" Aiko asked, her voice hesitant.

"One hundred."

Aiko suddenly jumped off the wolf's back without warning, grabbing onto a maple tree. "Bye!" She called, scrambling upward.

"What just happened?" asked Gutsy, standing up as though he was about to leap after Aiko.

Kenzie groaned. "She hates being in groups of four or more people."

"Counting her, there were just six here," Gutsy said. "She seemed fine."

"You don't hang out with her as much as we do," Sadie corrected. "She was way tense and jumpy."

"Yep," agreed Janice. "This isn't going to be fun. We have to track her down."

Silver paused. "Want me to catch her?"

"I'll get her." Kenzie prepared herself, crouching like a cat before making a wild leap for the maple. She dug her talon-like nails into the bark, clawing a moment for a grip before finding her footing. She began cautiously heading upward.

"Need help?" asked Sadie.

"Just catch me if I fall!" Kenzie growled back, before slipping. She squeaked in horror, grabbing a twig. "And don't distract me!" She screamed.

She was about three quarters of the way to Aiko when the Aiko suddenly dashed across the branch, looking exactly like a squirrel. She jumped.

Janice and Sadie both felt shrieks die in their throats; but then Aiko landed on the slim branch of an oak. "YOU WANT ME DOWN THERE, YOU HAVE TO CATCH ME!" She called, eyes wild.

"COME ON!" Kenzie roared back. "COOPERATE!"

"NEVER!" Aiko yowled. "LIBERTY OR DEATH! VIVA LA RESISTANCE!"

There was an awkward pause as everyone stared at Aiko then, "YOU'RE CRAZY!" called Janice.

"CRAZY BUT PRETTY," Aiko retorted. "WHICH IS MORE THAN I CAN SAY FOR YOU."

Janice's face went blank. Then:

_**"I'm going KILL her!" **_Janice snarled.

"Sorry, Janice!" yelped Sadie, throwing herself on top of her friend. "But you attack Aiko and she'll kill you!"

Gutsy blinked. "What's wrong with Aiko?"

Sadie sighed as Kenzie jumped back onto Silver's shoulders. "She's got trust issues."

"Why?"

Kenzie, still panting from her attempt to catch Aiko, gasped, "Kelly was leaving Aiko's house one night. Kelly's mom was going to meet her on the corner." She paused for breath. "Kelly wasn't there."

Sadie stepped in. "They searched for a week before they found Kelly's body in a ditch. Someone kidnapped her and murdered her!"

Aiko snarled from the oak. She could clearly hear them.

"Aiko still feels responsible," Sadie explained.

"It wasn't her fault Kelly died," Gutsy protested.

"She didn't want Kelly to leave that night. Aiko was already paranoid because someone had tried to kidnap a girl our age earlier that week. But Kelly left anyway." Kenzie shook her head.

"The way Aiko's brain is wired, you can almost _hear _the fuses blowing," Janice sneered spitefully, still angered by Aiko's comment.

"Quiet!" Sadie reprimanded. She turned back to Gutsy. "Aiko's mom walked out on her and her dad not long after. Felt guilty, I think. Anyway, Aiko's dad started drinking. He'd go to bars all night, come back drunk or with a hangover. She had to grow up way to fast. That's why Aiko trusts hardly anyone and stays away from people. She's a loner; love no one, fear no one. That's her motto."

Gutsy blinked. "Really?"

"Aiko believes that the only way to truly survive is to become a stone and have no feelings. She thinks as long as she does that, no one can _really _hurt her."

"Seriously?"

"If you knew Aiko, you'd understand." Janice's voice was cold and soft.

Silver Stars turned. "Come. I'll take you to the village. Then I will return for Aiko."

=^.^=

Moments later, Kenzie, Sadie, and Janice stood center stage in the village as Silver stretched out at the edge, nuzzling Jaiken as her son explained that his father had given him the poultice and the soreness was easing.

"Thank you, my dear," Silver Stars told her mate in voice that was an almost perfect mimic of a purr.

"No trouble, Star," Storm replied, his voice soft. "He's my son too, now."

Sasuke made a gagging noise while Sakura cuffed him on the shoulder. "Knock it off! They're mates now! So that makes Storm our step-dad. Right, Mom?"

"Right, Little One," Silver smiled. "Now, why not go and meet the newcomers?"

Papa Smurf was smiling. "Welcome to the Smurf Village. I'm Papa Smurf, and I assume you've already met Gutsy. Would you introduce yourselves?"

Kenzie and Sadie looked a little uncomfortable with the entire village staring at them, but Janice smiled. "I'm Janice," she grinned. "This is Sadie and that's Kenzie."

"Wonderful!" Papa Smurf smiled. "It's nice to meet you. Isn't it?"

The entire village called, "Yes!" or "Hi!"

Smurfette smiled. "It will be nice to have more girls around. Right, Sassette?"

"Yup!" The redhead grinned.

Sadie began twirling a lock of mahogany hair with one finger, looking sheepish. "Maybe we should go back out and find Aiko," she suggested.

"Sure," Kenzie agreed.

"Do what you want. That jerk can stay lost in the forest with the rabid squirrels for all I care."

"That's cold," Kenzie whispered.

"Let's get out of here!" Sadie hissed. "With all of them staring at me I feel as paranoid as Aiko!"

"Oh, you do, do you?"

Sadie let out a shriek as Aiko jumped down from a fir tree in between her and Kenzie.

"Strange, isn't it?" Aiko asked, her voice soft, hypnotic. "That first taste? Of…_paranoia_?"

Sadie backed away. "Your scaring me, Aiko!"

"It's not me." The girl gone Smurf looked like a cat the way she stalked toward Sadie, on all fours, back arched. "It's the Darkness. It's crushing you, isn't it?"

Somewhere in the silent crowd, Brainy thought, _Yes…yes, it is…._

"It's so strange…so new." Aiko circled her, her icy gray-blue eyes boring into Sadie's chocolate brown ones. "But at the same time…it's…_wonderful_."

Sadie could hear the persuasive tones. She could detect the malice in Aiko's eyes, the hatred in her glares and glances. _She's doing this because of what I said! This is for talking about Kelly! She wants to bury the memory of that night and I brought it back….So she's going to destroy me!_

Sadie shivered. "Aiko…I'm so sorry, Aiko!"

The cat-like Smurf paused, looking half-amused. "Really?" The voice was barley a hiss. One, tiny, deadly word, all the same.

"Aiko…." Sadie was taking a risk. "Aiko…Kelly wouldn't want you to become like this!"

Aiko suddenly looked enraged, and she pounced. "_You fool!_" She shrieked, voice high, eyes wild. "_She had you fooled up until the end, didn't she?_"

Sadie blinked, suddenly fearful. Had Aiko snapped? Had some final string been cut?

"_You never knew!_" Aiko laughed, a high, cold, mad hysterical laugh. Sadie, Kenzie, and Janice felt their blood turn to ice in their veins.

"_She fooled you all! 'You'll pay,' she told me! Well, here I am, aren't I?_"

The sun was beginning to set. Aiko turned her face to the stars. "_Have I paid enough yet, Kelly? No! Because it will never be over, will it? This guilt will haunt me forever! This is the curse you gave me!_"

Sadie looked up. "Aiko…?"

"_This is the end of it all, though…_" Aiko was thoughtful. "_Yes, the end of it all. I will not feel this guilt again, Kelly, you traitor!_"

Aiko leaped of Sadie. Kenzie and Janice moved forward to help her up.

"_You win, Kelly! Are you happy? I finally admitted it! You were right. And I was wrong._"

"Aiko! Snap out of it!" Kenzie yelled.

But Aiko wasn't listening. "_You're dead, Kelly!_" she roared. "_Leave me alone now! It's over! All of it…_" She fell to her knees, and Gutsy moved to catch her.

"Aiko?" he asked. He looked deep into her eyes. "Are you okay?" But her eyes were blank, staring at something Gutsy couldn't see.

"_It's all over now…it's been two years…I'm sorry…."_

Tears began to fall. And then Aiko fell unconscious.

Gutsy cradled her in his arms, looking over to Silver Stars and Papa Smurf from where they stood staring at her. "What happened?" Gutsy asked, holding Aiko a little closer.

"She seemed to think….Kelly was here…." Silver said slowly.

=^.^=

A few hours later, Aiko came too, head throbbing, lying in a soft, warm bed. "Hhuhh?" She felt groggy and could hardly move. Her whole body was sore. Suddenly, she heard her. Kelly.

_It's your fault…._

_ No, it's not, _Aiko argued.

_ You know it is! You made me leave! You let him kill me! _Kelly's voice was angry, deadly.

_I told you to stay!_

_ You never meant it. _The accusation stung but rang with truth. That was the worst part.

_You let me die. So I'll let you live with the guilt. Forever._

Then she heard his voice.

"Aiko?"

She looked up to see a kind faced Gusty Smurf standing over her.


	7. Nobody Knows I Love You

Note: Kelly died two years ago when she and Aiko got into a fight at Aiko's house. Kelly left because she was angry about what Aiko said, but Aiko was freaking out because someone tried to kidnap a girl their age a few weeks ago. Kelly didn't listen and left anyway. The kidnapper caught Kelly before her mom picked her up. The next day Kelly was killed and Aiko started hearing her voice. Kelly's body was found a week later. Because she was fighting with Aiko before she left, Kelly blames Aiko for her death.

_Nobody Knows_ belongs to P!nk, not me!

Let's find out what comes next, shall we?

Chapter Seven: Nobody Knows I Love You

Aiko sat up, rubbing her eyes. "Who are you?" she asked Gutsy.

He blinked, surprised by the question. "I'm Gutsy Smurf," he responded, searching her face for a glimmer of recognition. "Don't you remember me?"

She shook her head. "No. Sorry, should I?"

"Maybe not," Gutsy answered, more to himself than to her.

"Thanks," she replied sarcastically. "I love having people answer me in riddles."

Gutsy ignored her sour comments. "I'm going to tell your friends you're awake," he told her.

"Don't bother. Really."

Before he could react, Aiko had leaped up and dashed past him, speeding off like a small lightning bolt. "Bye!"

Gutsy dashed after her. "Aiko-!" He stopped. Aiko had slammed into Sadie.

"Aiko, you idiot!" snarled Sadie, touching the bridge of her nose gingerly. "You could have killed me!"

"Good to know," Aiko grinned, clearly not apologetic. "I'll go faster next time."

"Aiko!" Kenzie smacked her, eyes serious. "That's not very nice!"

"What are you, my mother?" Aiko yawned. "Seriously, I'm not a kid anymore, Kenzie."

"Then don't act like one!" Janice growled, inspecting Sadie's nose. "Does this look crooked to you, Kenzie?"

Sadie shrieked. "CROOKED? AIKO, YOU'RE DEAD!" The mahogany haired Smurf launched herself at the dirty-blond.

Aiko stood, unmoving, until the last possible second. She suddenly flipped to the left, and Sadie barreled past her, slamming into a birch head-on. "There," Aiko called cheerfully. "Now if it was crooked, which I doubt, it's straight now! All better!"

Sadie looked murderous, until she heard Aiko's next words. "When'd we get here, Janice?"

The redhead blinked. "Here, as in, where?"

Aiko glared. "Here, as in, this clearing!"

"Why, you don't remember?"

Aiko shook her head. "I remember we climbed a tree to get away from Gargamel. And then it went black and I woke up."

The words came back then.

_Aiko….you killed me, Aiko….face the truth. Or I will kill you._

Aiko shivered.

"Aiko?" Sadie asked. "What's wrong?"

Aiko shook her head slowly. "I don't know…" she whispered slowly.

"Tell the truth. You're lying, so tell me the truth," Janice ordered.

"_**NO!" **_Aiko suddenly exploded. _**"No, I WON'T! AND YOU CAN'T MAKE ME!"**_

"Whoa!" Kenzie backed up. "Chill, Aiko! Seriously! Are you on meds or something?"

Aiko suddenly looked murderous. "One little excuse would be all I'd need to snap your pitiful neck," she hissed.

Gutsy moved forward. "Aiko, we're yur friends," he told her. "You can trust us."

She suddenly looked up at him. "That's funny!" she backed away. "So funny! Were you friends with dear Kelly? Well, I trusted her! Look what that got me! Two years of torment, _so far_!"

She scrambled up an oak tree and disappeared in a hollow in the trunk about halfway up.

A few hours passed, and soon, it was dusk. Aiko hadn't left the hollow; and Gutsy was worried. He had to admit he liked Aiko. She was tough and a bit of a spitfire; for the first time he understood why Storm was so happy being mates with someone as headstrong and over-eager as Silver Stars. Spunky hellcats made life more interesting.

He climbed up the tree, stopping two branches from the hollow when he heard the sound of singing. Not just any singing, either. This was the voice of an angel. But the tune was sad, melancholy.

"_Nobody knows  
>Nobody knows but me<br>That I sometimes cry  
>If I could pretend that I'm asleep<br>When my tears start to fall  
>I peek out from behind these walls<br>I think nobody knows  
>Nobody knows no"<em>

Gutsy listened. His first instinct was to tell Papa, or Kenzie. But somehow, he knew that wouldn't help Aiko like him more.__

_"Nobody likes  
>Nobody likes to lose their inner voice<br>The one I used to hear before my life  
>Made a choice<br>But I think nobody knows_

_No no  
>Nobody knows<br>No"  
><em> 

Maybe he'd tell Silver Stars. The gray wolf didn't judge and was rational, quick and clever. Was able to think fast in tough situations and come up with a good, reasonable solution. The wolf was a friend, an ally. Perhaps she could help.

_"Baby  
>Oh the secret's safe with me<br>There's nowhere else in the world that I could ever be  
>And baby don't it feel like I'm all alone<br>Who's gonna be there after the last dangerous fall  
>And I've lost my way back home<br>I think nobody knows no  
>I said nobody knows"<br>_

Gutsy nodded. He'd tell the wolf. But first….he'd listen to Aiko. Listen to her sing about her troubles. Because she sounded like an angel. And he hated to admit it, but he seemed like every other Smurf when they'd seen Smurfette. He loved Aiko.

_"Nobody cares  
>It's win or lose not how you play the game<br>And the road to darkness has a way  
>Of always knowing my name<br>But I think nobody knows  
>No no<br>Nobody knows no no no no"_

Wisdom too old for a girl Aiko's age reflected in each note, each perfect pitch. Her voice rang with clarity, and Gutsy listened with a sad smile on his lips.__

_"Baby  
>Oh the secret's safe with me<br>There's nowhere else in the world that I could ever be  
>And baby don't it feel like I'm all alone<br>Who's gonna be there after the last dangerous fall  
>And I've lost my way back home<br>And oh no no no no  
>Nobody knows<br>No no no no no no"_

Aiko wavered, tears making her throat close and causing some difficulty as she let the last notes ring true.

_"Tomorrow I'll be there my friend  
>I'll wake up and start all over again<br>When everybody else is gone  
>No no no"<br>_

She mimicked P!nk beautifully. Even though Gutsy hadn't heard the song before, it sounded like a beautiful mimicry of someone else, who hadn't quite hit that one high note, or whose voice hadn't made that perfect pitch.

_"Nobody knows  
>Nobody knows the rhythm of my heart<br>The way I do when I'm lying in the dark  
>And the world is asleep<br>I think nobody knows  
>Nobody knows<br>Nobody knows but me  
>me"<em>

Aiko finished. Her tears fell freely now. Kelly was enraged, a ravenous Spirit trapped from going to the Other Side because she couldn't let go. And for some reason, Kelly was sure Aiko was anchoring her here.

Gutsy slowly stood up and jumped off the tree branch by branch. Then he ran for Silver Stars's clearing.

=^.^=

Aiko jolted awake. She hated sleeping at night; Kelly had become a sort of creature of the night, giving Aiko horrible visions, mortifying nightmares, the works.

She panted, clearly displeased with her lot. Then she noticed it was dawn. She could hear scrabbling on the oak's bark. Peeking over, she saw Kenzie making her way up. "Try me. I'll run again," Aiko warned.

"Come on, Aiko," Kenzie protested. "You have to eat!"

"Wanna bet?"

"Just come on!"

"Fine." Aiko jumped down the tree. "Good thing I wear jeans. Unlike Janice."

Kenzie rolled her eyes. "You have issues," she informed Aiko.

"Is that a newsflash for you? I thought everyone knew that!"

=^.^=

Silver Stars raised her head and blearily blinked open her eyes. All the pups were curled up, either by her or Storm. Her mate was still fast asleep, curled up protectively by Kohaku. Their son had been scared half to death by Kagura, but it was his fault for running off in the first place.

She suddenly noticed Gutsy Smurf fast asleep nearby, lying under a maple tree.

"Gutsy? Gutsy, did you need something?"

"Huh?" he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "Uh, yeah, yeah, I did," he confirmed.

"So what's up?"

"Um, well….the truth is….I think I have a crush on Aiko!"

"Congrats," Silver grinned. "You two will be very cute together. Want my advice? Leave her glasses alone. Messing with 'em will piss her off."

"Uh, well…I was wondering…she seems depressed. What do we do about that?"

"Watch her," shrugged Silver Stars. "I wish I had a different answer," she added, seeing Gutsy's angry expression. "But until she trusts us more that's all we can do."

"Oh."

"Come on," Silver Stars smiled. "Let's head to the mess hall."

=^.^=

"_Bonjour, Kenzie_," Painter smiled, blushing slightly. "_Vous __ê__tes tr__ès __belle_,"he added.

"_Merci, __vous êtes__très__ gentil_," Kenzie replied, smiling as she recited her perfect French.

"_Votre français est très bon. Il serait agréable d'avoir un conversation avec vous. Souhaitez-vous venir à mon studio pour modéliser pour mon prochain_ _tableau_?" Painter asked.

"_Oui, merci_,"Kenzie smiled.

"Major crush fest!" Sadie teased.

"Like you wouldn't take the chance to practice Chinese," Kenzie scoffed as Painter walked off, blushing furiously but looking pleased.

"Who's your crush, Sadie?" Janice asked.

"Grouchy. He's so sweet. Did I tell you he brought me flowers last night?"

"Awww," the girls cooed.

"I like Brainy. He gets really tongue-tied when I talk to him so he can't speak, and then when he does talk he just says things like, 'you're really pretty, Janice!'"

They all laughed.

"Well, you already know I'm crushing on Painter. What about you, Aiko? Any guys catch your eye?"

"Even if they did, they're probably scared of her," Janice added.

"Well…" began Aiko, but before she could finish, a small explosion got their attention.

Grouchy came in, coughing. A few wisps of green smoke followed him. "Can't….breathe…." gasped Grouchy.

"Are you okay?" asked Gutsy, rushing forward. "Wha' happened?"

"Brainy stink bombed my house!"

"Really?" asked Gutsy, looking surprised. "How do ye know?"

"Silver Stars told me Brainy made the bomb," Grouchy explained.

Gutsy and the others could hear the wolf snickering madly. "Good go, Brainy!"

There was another small explosion. "Ooh," the wolf cackled. "He won't like that!"

Gutsy ran out. Smoke billowed from his mushroom's windows and the stench of sulfur hung in the air. "Didn' know ye had it in ya, Brainy!" he praised.

But suddenly, Hefty was yelling. "Baby Smurfette!" He cried.

"Wha'?" Gutsy ran over. Smoke was flowing out of Hefty and Smurfette's mushroom and the sound of poor Baby Smurfette's cries could be heard.

"The door's locked!" yelled Hefty. "I can't get in!"

Gutsy could think of only one thing: he dove into the mushroom through the window and, coughing, spotted little Smurfette. He snatched her up and jumped back out the window.

"Oh, thank you Gutsy! Thank you!" Smurfette cried, snatching up her daughter.

"Notta problem," Gutsy coughed.

Sadie looked over at the others. "Wow! That was scary, huh?" Suddenly, she let out a happy, shrill yell. "Aiko's got a crush on Gutsy!"

"What? No!" Aiko yelled, blushing an even deeper red. Her cheeks looked like raspberries. "I'm not-I don't-Ugh! You lot are so…so…irritating!" She snapped, crossing her arms and trying to resist the urge to see if Gutsy had heard what Sadie'd said.

Sure enough, he was blushing just as deeply as she was. His heart skipped a beat; did Aiko like him too? Maybe. If so, had did he…ask her out? Maybe he'd ask Hefty. After all, he won Smurfette over, right? Right!

Hefty, meanwhile, was purple with rage. "_I'm going to kill Brainy!_"

"What? Why?" Grouchy asked.

"He nearly _killed_ Baby Smurfette!" Hefty snapped.

"All right, all right," said Gutsy peaceably. "Let's just get his side of the story, okay? Maybe he didn't know Baby was in the house."

"All right," growled Hefty, but he obviously wasn't pleased.

=^.^=

Aiko, Sadie, Kenzie, and Janice sat in the hollow of the oak that Aiko had slept in the night before (or tried to). They were giggling like schoolgirls, talking about boys, the village, and Janice was trying to bring up fashion. The others weren't interested, though. Why talk about the latest styles when you could be squealing over your latest crush? It was way more interesting.

"What if Grouchy turned out to be really sweet, though?" Sadie argued.

"As if," sniffed Janice in a superior tone.

"Right," Aiko joked. "And maybe Brainy isn't annoying!"

"You are so childish," Janice muttered, combing her red hair with her fingers.

"I can't wait to go to Painter's studio," Kenzie sighed.

"Maybe he's a vampire!" Sadie shrieked.

"I vant to suck your blood!" Aiko yelled, baring her teeth and making claws with her hands.

"Eek!" yelped Kenzie dramatically. The three laughed, rolling around.

They heard the sound of running paws. Looking out the hollow's entrance, they saw Silver Stars dash off, with Hefty Smurf, Grouchy Smurf, and Gutsy Smurf all perched on her back.

A soft conversation could be heard at the base of the oak. "You heard her," Baker was saying. "What if she pushed him over the edge?"

"She probably didn't mean to," Tracker said fairly.

"What do you want to bet they're talking about me?" Aiko asked.

"Fifty," Sadie grinned. "We don't even know what they're talking about!"

The Smurfs began to climb the tree, at least, most of them. Some, like Tracker, stayed below. "Hey! Aiko!" Tracker called. "Better run! They're after you!"

"Called it!" Aiko grinned gleefully. "Watch this!" She jumped out of the hollow and ran to the edge of the branch.

"We know!" called Kenzie. "You're part squirrel!"

Aiko suddenly jumped off the branch, but she jumped straight down, letting gravity pull her. "Whee!"

The Smurfs paused to stare as she flew past. Once she wasn't across or above any more of them, she caught a branch. She spun on it a few times, like a gymnastic star.

She finally jumped back on the ground and struck an arms out, one leg slightly forward pose. "Ta-da!"

Everyone stared at her with open mouths. "How…?" asked Janice.

"Suicidal tendencies must make you a pro athlete," Sadie suggested.

=^.^=

Aiko spent the day running from homicidal Smurfs. She still had no idea why they were chasing her. Finally, Aiko ran into Painter's studio.

"Ah, welcome, _mon ami,_" Painter smiled. "Are you here to see _la fleur_, Kenzie?"

"I understood half of that," Aiko admitted.

"He called you his friend and he called me a flower," Kenzie clarified, smiling.

"Aw, he likes you," Aiko teased.

She sat down and watched Painter paint a portrait of Kenzie, his brushstrokes so fine that he caught every detail.

"He even got all your little flyaway hairs!" Aiko said appreciatively.

"My what?" Kenzie asked, horrified.

"_Non, non, ma belle,_" Painter corrected. "You are very beautiful!"

The sound of a horde of angry Smurfs knocking on the door jerked them to reality. "Gotta go!" Aiko called, jumping into Painter's window. "Oh, and Painter?"

He looked up, mixing yellow and a goldish-color together to make more of the sunny shade he used for Kenzie's hair. "Yes, _mon ami_?"

"Kenzie likes you!" Aiko grinned, before doing a backflip out the open window.

=^.^=

Around five, Aiko was starting to slow down. She wasn't getting away as quickly, and then she didn't have as much time to stop and rest. Her body screamed for a break, but she couldn't do it. "So tired," she mumbled, before smacking into someone. "Ow!"

She looked up, ready to fight her way out, when, "Gutsy?"

"Aiko?" The Scottish Smurf bent down, holding out a hand to help her up. "Are ye okay? Wha' happened?"

"Oh, just being chased by the half the village that seem to think I want to kill them all or something. I think they think I'm Dracula."

Gutsy had absolutely no idea who 'Dracula' was, but Aiko just smiled. "Help?"

"Um, sure. Go back to your hollow."

"Thanks," Aiko smiled. "That's nice of you." She scrambled up a pine tree and began leaping her way to the oak.

"Gutsy? What are you doing out here?" asked Baker, who was holding a large butcher knife menacingly.

"Uh, enjoying nature," Gutsy tried, stroking the pine's trunk.

"Uh huh." Baker didn't look convinced, so Gutsy decided to improvise.

"What are you doing? Baking smurfberry crumble?"

"No. We're hunting Aiko."

_At least they admitted it, _Gutsy thought. "Why?"

"She made Brainy try to kill himself! Why shouldn't we?"

"When did she do that?" Gutsy demanded.

"You heard her! She sounded like she was possessed or something. And then she started talking about darkness and all that, and….I don't know. Aiko's mental!"

"Half right," Janice called. She was holding hands with Brainy, who looked embarrassed and seemed to want to run in the opposite direction. "Aiko's mental, all right. But Brainy didn't try to kill himself because of her. Right?"

"Right," Brainy agreed nervously.

"See?" Janice snapped. "Leave my friend alone or you'll have to deal with me."

Then she and Brainy flounced off.

"There, see?" Gutsy snapped. "Now get out of here."

Looking downcast, the pack of Smurfs scurried off, almost as though they were afraid of being burned by Gutsy's fiery gaze.

=^.^=

Gutsy past by the oak and heard a soft, angelic voice. "He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not." Petals from a daisy fell like snowflakes toward her, and he reached out to catch one.

"Who am I kidding?" Aiko suddenly snapped. Gutsy shrank back into the tree's shadow. "He doesn't love me! Stupid Sadie. Stupid Kenzie. Stupid Janice. I should…"

Her voice trailed off into threatening mumbles, but Gutsy still feared being caught. When he was sure Aiko was gone, he slipped off, heading for home, his heart fluttering.

"She loves me!"

=^.^=

=^.^=

14 pages in Californian FB font. Wow!

Read and review. Next chapter up soon!


	8. Vanity and Farmer's Plight

VanityXFarmer pairing was started by SmuryFriend. I love it cause it makes no sense whatsoever! :D

Chapter Eight: Vanity and Farmer's Plight

Aiko lay in her hollow, her annoyance prickling in the back of her mind. "You're a moron, Aiko. Who _falls in love _after knowing someone for a few hours? You're mental."

She glared out the entrance, and-

"AUUUGGHHH!" she yelped. "Dear Lord, Janice, don't DO that!" She screamed, throwing an acorn at the redhead, who ducked just in time.

"Nice to know you've got a sense of humor!" Janice snickered.

"Either tell me what you came up here for or leave before I push you off that branch!" Aiko ordered, her eyes glinting furiously behind her glasses.

"Sorry. Okay, I just wanted to say…I like Brainy."

"NO!" said Aiko sarcastically. "REALLY? Well. That settles it. Guess who's getting a MRI when we get home?"

"I'm serious," Janice snapped.

"Me too, there must be some serious mental illness going on here. Maybe we should see if Papa Smurf can diagnose you. Maybe you have Alzheimer's," she continued. "Whadda ya think?"

"I think you're a jerk!" Janice snapped.

"Yeah, so are you." Aiko tossed another acorn at Janice.

"Waitaminute." Janice looked around. "What's with all this…_food_?"

"It's called GATHERING," Aiko announced, holding up a handful of seeds and berries. "You like? I was out for about an hour collecting all this."

"AN HOUR?" Janice asked, mystified. One entire side of Aiko's hollow was full to the brim with berries, nuts, seeds, and edible roots. It looked like it would have taken a few days with about ten Smurfs helping!

"What?" Aiko asked. "It's fun."

"DON'T YOU HAVE A LIFE?" Janice demanded.

"Never have never will. Besides, it's fun!"

"_IT'S FUN?_ ARE YOU INSANE!"

"Well, yes, but I assure you I'm perfectly, okay, mostly," Aiko corrected, "sane."

"You're a joy to have in life. Really." Janice rolled her eyes. "Just think of something for me to do so I can ask Brainy out! Or make him ask me!"

"Really?" Aiko asked eagerly. "You want me to use my wondrous, evil, clever mind for something? I don't have to subdue the urge to go through on my plans?"

"I should probably say no," Janice muttered. "But yes."

"VICTORY!" Aiko screamed. "YOU SHALL NOT REGRET THIS!"

"I think I already do," Janice mumbled. "I'm gonna leave now."

"Yes," Aiko purred, "You should leave so you can't be held accountable for the evils I am beginning to concoct."

=^.^=

The next morning, Gutsy walked outside his mushroom and-

"WHHHOOOAAA!" he yelled, as he was jerked upward by the ankle. "Wha' the blinkin' flip was tha'?"

"That was my very smurfy trap. Came out well, if I do say so myself. Which I do." Gutsy looked down to see Aiko smiling up at him.

"An' why am I hanging by my ankles?" he asked.

"It's all part of my plan to get Brainy to ask Janice out because for some reason she likes him."

"An' wha' part do I play in all this?" Gutsy demanded.

"Watch." Aiko turned to Brainy's mushroom. "BRAINY! Your intelligence is needed! Get out here!" She then turned to Gutsy. "By the way. I was never here." She shot him a pearly, wolfish smirk. "Got it?"

She didn't even wait for an answer before she was gone, and he was left dangling by his ankle.

=^.^=

Janice peeked out of the window of the mushroom she was sharing with Sadie and Kenzie. "Oh my lord," she whispered. "Aiko is a genius! Psycho, but genius!"

Sadie looked outside too, only to see Brainy trying to help Gutsy down with his version of 'science'. "I don't get it."

"Just watch!" Janice ordered. "This is something I studied in school!"

"Seriously? You studied?" Sadie asked with real shock in her voice.

Janice, however, was completely oblivious. "Yes, I did! It's great, isn't it? BRB!"

She pranced out the door, and Kenzie stared at Sadie. "I thought all she studied was the best bargains in fashion."

"Me, too," agreed Sadie, nodding rapidly.

=^.^=

Janice smiled warmly at Brainy. "You know, all you have to do is move that rock and climb up onto the house's roof. Then you can cut him free."

"Well, tha's certainly an idea I like," Gutsy grumbled. "But I'd probably like it bettah if I was on the ground righ' about now!"

Aiko sat staring at the scene, laughing silently. "This is so funny! I love it when I get to have a free reign!"

"I don't know if that's such a good idea, Janice," Brainy replied, looking nervously up at his brave brother. "Don't just stand there, ya numptie!" Gutsy snapped. "Get me down from 'ere!"

"And he returns," Brainy sighed drily. "Fine. Let's get him down."

After getting Hefty to move the rock, Janice handed Brainy a small, sharp razor. "Hand this to me when I get on the roof," she ordered. "I don't want to cut myself on my way up."

"Not a good idea," trilled a voice. "Remember what happened yesterday?"

"Right," Janice nodded. She watched as the speaker, Baker, walked off, his plate of Smurfberry muffins still steaming. "Okay." She waved frantically at Handy. "Handy! Oy! Handy!" she yelled.

"What?" he asked, walking over.

"Make sure Brainy doesn't hurt himself with that," she told him, gesturing to the razor. "I'm gonna climb up the wall, and I don't want to be blamed if he gets hurt."

"Sure," Handy agreed easily. "No problem."

After she'd scrambled up the mushroom, Janice bent down. "Razor, please and thank you," she told Brainy. Once he'd given it to her, she quickly sliced through Gutsy's bonds.

"AUUGHHH!" Gutsy yelled as he landed hard on the grass. "Ow..."

"Nice," Brainy complimented him, grinning at his brother's misfortune.

"I'll get ye fer tha'", Gutsy snapped, rubbing his temple as he sat up.

=^.^=

Aiko was silently howling with laughter as Gutsy and Brainy talked when she heard an angry yell. "THEY DID _WHAT_?"

Feeling a stab of fear, Aiko realized the speaker (or shouter) was none other than _Papa Smurf_.

She choked slightly as a cackle died in her throat. Now, why was Mr. Red Shorts shouting? And who was he-

"VANITY AND FARMER!"

Well, apparantly, that question was just answered. Now, why was he angry with them? Something had to have happened that was pretty bad.

Well, this should be slightly amusing. Besides, Gutsy was on his feet and was comintg after her. best not be in the hollow when he arrived.

Silver Stars wa growling as her fluffed up, silvery tail coiled like a furry snake around Farmer's house. Meanwhile, Vanity was hugging Farmer tightly around the waist.

"Papa Smurf! I love him!" Vanity cried, hugging Farmer tightly.

"IT'S ATROCIOUS!" Papa Smurf roared.

"It's life!" spat Silver Stars. "Deal with it!"

"They're brothers!" Papa snapped.

"Emotionally or spiritually, maybe! Not physically or genetically!"

"What are you saying?" Papa snarled. "Every blue moon they got a new brother! None of them are in love with each other."

"The chances that Vanity and Farmer have the same genetics is so minimal. I'm going to venture on impossible." Silver growled.

"Oh, really?" Papa challenged. "Then how about we go see Mother Nature?"

"Oh, yes, lets," Silver agreed. "I would love the chance to prove you wrong."

She slowly uncoiled herself from the mushroom, allowing Vanity and Farmer to climb onto her muzzle and perch on her head. However, when Papa approached, she gently swept him aside with her tail. "No."

"And why, might I ask, not?"

"Because I'm letting them have some peace," she huffed, before stalking off toward the village.

Aiko jumped after her. "Hi, Farmer! Hi, Vanity!"

"Hi there, Miss Aiko," Farmer smiled.

"Can I ride up there with you?" Aiko asked.

"I don't see why not. You haven't insulted us yet," Vanity sniffed.

"Oh, I'm not going to. I think you look smurfy!" Aiko grinned.

"Us?" asked Vanity. "Smurfy?"

"Sure!" She was now perched on Silver's ruffled mane of fur around her neck. "There are lots of males in the human world where I come from that are in love with males!"

"Really?" asked Farmer.

"It sounds too good to be true!" Vanity sighed.

"Sure! And not just guys. There are girl couples, too," Aiko smiled.

"Tha's nice ta know. Thank you, Aiko," Farmer grinned.

"Oh, it''s no problem," Aiko smirked. "I think you should be allowed to love who you want to, no matter who they are!"

Silver Stars was smiling as well, though the Smurfs and Smurfette couldn't see it. "Well said, Aiko," she praised softly. "Very Well said." She continued trotting off, not running, but going at a slight jog. A brisk, easy pace, she reflected.

As soon as they reached the clearing, Aiko smiled. "Gotta sprint, boys!" she told Vanity and Farmer, giving each a quick hug. "I think I pissed off Gutsy, so I should probably get going before he catches me and makes me-" she shuddered, "-apologize!"

"Have fun!" chuckled Farmer.

"Yes," Vanity agreed, primping himself slightly in the mirror he always kept handy. "And while you're at it, tell him he has horrible fashion sense. Dressing like a girl-! Honestly. You have a much nicer look. More rugged, outdoorsy."

"Thanks, I think," Aiko cackled.

"Comin' from 'im, tha's a compliment!" Farmer laughed, hugging Vanity.

"Farmer!" Vanity reprimanded. "I was straightening my flower, and know you've screwed it up!"

"AIKO!" Gutsy was stomping towards Silver Stars.

"Gotta scram!" Aiko yipped, jumping off the wolf. "See ya soon!"

=^.^=

Gutsy was rubbing his cheek where Aiko had socked him for chasing her. He was sitting of Silver Star's ruff, just behind Aiko, as the wolf sprinted to Mother Nature's home. She was firm in her belief that Vanity and Farmer weren't actually related and therefore should have their family's support.

Gutsy thought the she-wolf was right. After all, he, Gutsy Smurf, was Scottish, and supposedly had the French Painter Smurf and the Irish Miner Smurf for brothers. While the idea that they were all related was sort of nice, he really didn't think that they were. And Silver Stars was sure to point out other things he'd missed in his assessment of the village smurfs.

The wolf yawned widely as she stopped near Mother Nature's home. "Mother Nature!" Silver called. "Are you home?"

"Yes indeedy," Mother Nature smiled, her white hair bouncing slightly as she approached them. "Hello, Silver Stars! Papa Smurf!"

She greeted each of them, then said, "Well! To what do I owe the pleasure of a visit from you?"

"Silver Stars thinks it's okay for Vanity and Farmer to be in a relationship!" spat Hefty, who'd also tagged along. "She says they aren't really brothers!"

"Really!" Mother Nature said, sounding shocked. "No one's ever asked this before! I'll have to check my notes..."

She began rummaging around, with 'notes' (more like 'scrawls' in Silver's personal opinion) cropping up in the strangest places. Cereal bowls, wine glasses, under the newest china plate-you name, there was a note. Meaning that there was literally no rhyme or reason to where they were. One on zebras could be stuffed in one jar, with on on aphids inside the same jar, too.

This was going to take a while.


	9. Killing Kelly on Halloween

**THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO FLOWERPOWER71, WITH THE HOPE THAT YOU GET BETTER VERY SOON! :)**

**Slight swearing in this chapter. Nothing bad, just one or two minor swear words. **

**Halloween belongs to **_**Aqua**_**. My version's on her album **_**Aquarium.**_

**I can totally picture Mother Nature being disorganized. So...yeah. In this story she is, deal with it.**

**I have not seen the cartoon in so long that this is all improv.**

**The movie? I watch that every day! :D (Gutsy fan!)**

**Aiko: Sarcastic and fearful. In love with Gutsy. Wears light blue shirt and pale, old jeans w/ sneakers, and she also wears glasses. Clever.**

**Sadie: Athletic and determined. In love with Grouchy. Wears dark purple shirt and shorts w/ cleats. Fast.**

**Kenzie: Artistic and loving. In love with Painter. Wears yellow long-sleeved shirt w/ black leggings and black flats. Maternal.**

**Janice: Trendy and nervous. In love with Brainy. Wears pale pink dress w/ pink heeled sandals. Quiet.**

Chapter Nine: Killing Kelly on Halloween

"So, Silver Stars. Why so certain?" asked Mother Nature, searching for 'Smurf notes' in a flower pot.

"Look at all the differences between these three!" The wolf insisted, nudging Vanity, Gutsy, and Hefty forward.

"Like what?" scoffed Papa Smurf.

"Like the fact that Hefty and Gutsy are taller than Vanity. And here, Vanity's not as strong as Gutsy and Hefty. So, they could be related, except for one very important thing!"

"What?" asked Aiko, interestedly.

The she-wolf nudged Gutsy forward. "He's Scottish!" She declared, her tail waving with victory.

"That doesn't change any-" Papa Smurf began, but Mother Nature interrupted.

"She's right!" Mother Nature cried. "They aren't all related, they're all different!"

"HA!" The she-wolf laughed triumphantly. "I was right!"

"Yay!" Vanity squealed, surprising Farmer with a death-grip of a bearhug.

"She doesn't usually do that," Hefty said, staring at the silver carnivore.

"Yeah, well," shrugged Gutsy, "She also doesn't usually disagree wit' Papa Smurf."

"Oh," The wolf almost purred, "I love being right."

Mother Nature turned as she heard Aiko laughing.

"Who is this?" asked the old woman, staring at her.

"Ah, ya dinnae know Aiko, do ye?" Gutsy smirked. "She came ta the village wit' 'er friends Sadie, Kenzie, and Janice. They were humans until they accidentally smurfed a spell that made them Smurfs!"

"Yuppers," Aiko agreed. "Most fun I've had in ages."

"Well," began Mother Nature. "How do explain your Second Spirit?"

"Second what now?"

"Second Spirit. It's when a body has more than one Soul inside it," Mother Nature explained.

"More than one Soul? Heh..." Aiko looked nervous. "What are you talkin' about? There's no 'Second Spirit' here."

"Really." Mother Nature was not convinced. "Ever black out?"

"Sure, who doesn't during math class?"

"This is serious," snapped Papa.

"I'm being serious!" Aiko insisted.

"Sure ye are," Gutsy snickered.

Aiko felt her cheeks beginning to burn with part embarrassment and she turned away. Vanity and Farmer looked over at her; Vanity grinned mischievously at her. It was almost like he was saying, _Aiko and Gutsy sitting in a tree..._

"We'd bettah get going," Gutsy announced. "We've got a Blue Moon Festival ta plan."

"Yeah," Silver Stars agreed. "And Storm has some friends coming by for a visit. Got to be ready when they get here."

The she-wolf bent down and Gutsy helped Aiko onto the wolf's head while Farmer helped Vanity. Papa and Hefty were once more subjected to riding on her shoulders. At least, Papa was.

"I'll meet you there," Mother Nature trilled. "I'll just be a few minutes. I'll have to find the spell that will force the Second Spirit to reveal itself."

"Now wait just one minute!" Aiko began, preparing herself for a heated argument. However, Silver

Stars hadn't heard the little Smurf's outburst. Instead, she grinned, "Okay!" and sped off. Hefty, who hadn't gotten a grip on the wolf's fur, was reduced to clutching the tip of her tail.

Once they'd arrived at the village, Aiko glared at them. "Second Spirit? Seriously, you believe this?"

"Wha's your excuse for the blackouts, then?" Gutsy asked interestedly.

"None of your freakin' business," Aiko muttered.

"Hi," Kenzie smiled. She looked angry.

Aiko perked up instantly. "Did you see what I did to get Brainy to ask out Janice?"

"Yes. Yes, we did." Sadie replied. She, too, did not look pleased.

"Aw, forget that. Did the plan actually get them together?"

"I guess so," shrugged Sadie. "They're on a date right now, so supposedly."

_**FLASH!**_

_**"AUUGGHH!"**_yelled Aiko, Sadie, and Kenzie together.

"Okay," gasped Aiko. "That was probably half my life cut from my soul."

"You're not used to people popping in and out of existence yet, huh?" asked Silver Stars.

"NO! WHY WOULD WE BE?" shrieked Sadie.

"Don't worry," Jaiken grinned, as though he hadn't heard Sadie's outburst. "You will. It only took me and Sakura two weeks. Took Sasuke three. It was hilarious."

"Right." Sadie turned to Aiko and Kenzie. _I'd like to go home now,_she mouthed.

Mother Nature smiled happily as she shrunk herself down to Smurf size. "Alright, let's go somewhere comfortable for this spell."

"DO I GET A SAY IN THIS?" Aiko asked loudly.

"Seeing as you're lying about it, no," Mother Nature replied.

"I hate it here, I really do," Aiko snapped.

"She's like a constant downer, huh?" asked Gutsy.

"Oh, totally." Sadie nodded knowingly. "She reminds me of Grouchy, really."

=^.^=

Aiko was sitting in her food-filled hollow. Papa Smurf was standing in the entrance with Mother Nature, Kenzie, Sadie, Janice, and Gutsy. "What...?" he asked, satring at the vast amount of berries and such inside the large space.

"Oh, yeah." Aiko looked at him. "You have some place to, you know, store this?"

Papa nodded wordlessly.

"Great." She turned and grinned. "Quite pleased with this, I am."

Gutsy smiled. "Ye did all this yerself?"

"Yeah. What, you thought Janice helped me?"

"No way in hell," Janice mumbled.

Gutsy laughed. "Right, like that would've happened."

Aiko turned. "So what's does this stupid spell do, anyway?"

"I'll cast it and you'll fall asleep for a while. It depends, so I can't say how long you'll be out," she added.

"Fine."

"Then you will confront your Second Spirit and hopefully they will leave your body."

"Fat chance," Aiko mumbled under her breath. "Alright, I'm ready."

Aiko's arctic storm blue eyes suddenly turned blood red. Mother Nature, Papa Smurf, and Gutsy all leaped backward, surprised.

"Did you cast the spell yet?" asked Papa, shaking slightly.

"No," Mother Nature insisted. "The other Soul must have decided to show themselves on their own."

"Oh, well, give the little girl a big cigar!" cackled Aiko.

"Aiko…?" asked Kenzie tentatively.

"No, was I that good?" asked whoever had stolen Aiko's body.

"Apparently!" Sadie chimed in.

"Oh, shut up, Sadie, no one wants to hear you rant about Brian Regan and his 'Stupid in School' bit," snapped Aiko's bodysnatcher.

"She scares me," Sadie announced. "She sounds like Kelly when she was pissed with me."

"Well, I am," Aiko's voice snapped. "Deal wit' it."

"KELLY?" screeched Kenzie, Sadie, and Janice together.

"Leave Aiko alone!" yelled Sadie.

"Yeah! She doesn't deserve-" began Kenzie, but suddenly bloody red eyes became icy blue.

"Wha-help…help me," Aiko begged, eyes wide, and reaching for them.  
>Gutsy moved over to help her, but then the icy color was gone and the blood-like crimson returned.<p>

Kelly laughed manically as she realized what Aiko had been trying to do. "Oh, going to your friends, Aiko? I THOUGHT I WAS YOUR FRIEND!"

She suddenly turned to Gutsy. "Ooh, Aiko," she cooed, suddenly moving forward in Aiko's body and using Aiko's hand to grip Gutsy's face. "I can see how you feel about this one…."

The icy-blue-gray eyes returned. "GET THE HELL OUT OF MY HEAD!" Aiko roared.

Mother Nature waved her wand. A flash of blue watery smoke engulfed Aiko, and she fell backward.

Gutsy shot forward, catching her in his arms. As the young smurf went under, she looked outside the hollow entrance.

"We'll be right here when you wake up," Mother Nature was saying.

Aiko's eyes widened as she spotted the full moon.

=^.^=

Her eyes opened in a darkened room. Oh, boy. This was-

"WELCOME!" The light flicked on, and Kelly walked in, pigtails bouncing, holding a steak knife. "To my humble abode!"

"Are you going to try and kill me in my sleep?" Aiko asked, shying away from Kelly's knife.

"Perhaps. After all, this is the first time you've been here on a full moon in ages." Kelly twirled the knife in her fingers, touching the sharpened tip lightly.

"It's not like you CAN kill me," Aiko snapped. "After all, this is just a dream."

"Really?" Kelly smirked. "Let's test that theory, shall we?" She pulled her arm back and threw the knife.

"Ack!" Aiko cupped her face in one hand. A thin trickle of blood oozed from between her fingers.

=^.^=

Gutsy yelped. He'd turned to put a cold cloth on Aiko's forehead because she was so warm, and now a long, thin, bleeding cut was quickly appearing on her face. He carefully wiped the blood away, ever so gently cleaning her face.

"Wha' happened?" Gutsy asked.

"If she gets hurt in her Dream World, she gets hurt in the real world." Mother Nature explained.

"MORONS!" Kenzie yelled. She, Sadie, and Janice were standing in the hollow entrance, looking murderous. "YOU KNOW WHO'S IN HER BODY? KELLY!"

"And Kelly wants her DEAD!" Sadie finished.

"This is going to end badly," Janice said, staring in horror at Aiko's now writhing body.

=^.^=

"LET GO OF ME!" Kelly screamed, clutching at her hair.

"Then stop trying to kill me!" Aiko retorted.

"I-"

The phone on Kelly's bedside table suddenly rang.

"That's creepy," Aiko announced.

Kelly freed herself and walked over to the phone.

"Hello?"

"Remember me?" asked a creepy, evil voice.

"Who's there?"

"I've got your number!" The voice laughed.

"Oh no, no!" Kelly screamed.

"I'm back… to haunt you!"

"No, stay away!" Aiko screamed uselessly.

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" The voice cackled. Kelly dropped the cell, but the laughter continued, even as the

phone shattered.  
><em>"It's Friday night<em>  
><em>So creepy outside<em>  
><em>It's is thundering and lightning<em>  
><em>There's nobody home<em>  
><em>Cause I'm all alone<em>  
><em>It's scary and it's frightening!"<em>

Sang Aiko and Kelly.

"_The sound of shoes_  
><em>A shadow that moves<em>  
><em>Something odd is tic tac ticking<em>  
><em>Someone's in here<em>  
><em>I'm so full of fear<em>  
><em>The telephone is ringing!"<em>

Wailed Kelly.

"_Now I can see you…"_  
><em>"Oh no, please no!"<em>  
><em>"Now I can touch you…."<em>  
><em>"Oh god, please go!"<em>  
><em>"I am right here now…"<em>  
><em>"Oh please, tell me where!"<em>  
><em>"Ha ha ha ha!"<em>  
><em>"I'm in a nightmare!"<em>  
><em>"You better run<em>  
><em>I'm back to hunt you down!"<em>

The voice was taunting the two of them. It was horrible!  
><em>"Halloween, in the dead of the night, hear me scream!"<em>  
><em>"I'm coming, I'm coming…"<em>  
><em>"Halloween, is the fear that I fight, in my dream!"<em>  
><em>"Keep running, keep running…"<em>

Aiko and Kelly were shrieking as the figure flitted back and forth.

"_Just keep running - oh, keep on running, yeah_  
><em>Just keep running<em>  
><em>Just keep running - oh, keep on running, yeah<em>  
><em>Just keep running…"<em>

A small army of zombies was singing to them.

"_Hell broke out_  
><em>On this Friday night<em>  
><em>Zombies passing deadly<em>  
><em>My Candyman, from Bountyland<em>  
><em>Is coming here to get me!"<em>

Screamed Aiko.

"_Now I can see you…"_  
><em>"Oh no, please no!"<em>  
><em>"Now I can touch you…"<em>  
><em>"Oh god, please go!"<em>  
><em>"I am right here now…"<em>  
><em>"Oh please tell me where!"<em>  
><em>"Ha ha ha ha!"<em>  
><em>"I'm in a nightmare!"<em>  
><em>"You better run<em>  
><em>"I'm back to hunt you down!"<em>

The voice continued to taunt.

"_Halloween, in the dead of the night, hear me scream!"_  
><em>"I'm coming, I'm coming…"<em>  
><em>"Halloween, is the fear that I fight, in my dream!"<em>  
><em>"Keep running, keep running…"<em>

Aiko and Kelly against the voice, who was slowly turning into someone they both knew…

_Just keep running - oh keep on running, yeah_  
><em>Just keep running<em>  
><em>Just keep running - oh keep on running, yeah<em>  
><em>Just keep running<em>

The zombies were closing in…oh no, they were so terrible…

"_It's squeaking and creaking_  
><em>I move silent in the night, hahahahaha<em>  
><em>Could be the boy from next-door<em>  
><em>You'll never guess my disguise<em>  
><em>Hahahahaha!<em>

"_Kids and children fight_  
><em>Pumpkin and candlelight<em>  
><em>You might be the fearsome one at Junior High<em>  
><em>Tonight!"<em>

Roared the voice, screeching madly.

_"Halloween, in the dead of the night, hear me scream!"_  
><em>"I'm coming, I'm coming…"<em>  
><em>"Halloween, is the fear that I fight, in my dream!"<em>  
><em>"Keep running, keep running…"<em>  
><em>"Halloween...!"<em>

Wailed Kelly as Aiko whimpered.

_"Just keep running - oh, keep on running, yeah_  
><em>Just keep running<em>  
><em>Just keep running - oh, keep on running, yeah<em>  
><em>Just keep running!"<em>

And the voice was becoming…Seth.

_"Ahhhhhhh!" _screamed both girls at the top of the lungs.

"Aiko…I'm sorry! You were right about him, was just mad that you were pointing it out!" Kelly yelled.

"Alright! Can we discuss this when our lives aren't in peril?"

"No! And I'm sorry for this!"

And Kelly smacked Aiko across the face. "Bye!"

=^.^=

Aiko sat up. Her heart was pounding so hard, so was sure it would either burst or break her ribs.

Her glasses were skewed, so she couldn't see very well. Everyone was blurry, so she had no idea who was in the hollow with her. But her encounter with Seth had frightened her so badly, so couldn't help it when so suddenly burst into tears. Her body was racked with huge, horrid sobs, and she curled into a small, cat-like ball, still almost screaming in horrible fear.

Gutsy moved forward. He had no idea why Aiko was so scared, but it literally pained him to see Aiko in so much pain. He began gently rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her.

"It's okay, Lassie," he murmured, stroking her back soothingly. "Yer okay."

Aiko suddenly sat up and hugged Gutsy around the neck. He blinked, surprised, but he decided just to go with it. He sat, rocking Aiko, until she drifted into an uneasy stupor.

=^.^=

The next morning, Aiko sat up. She could feel where tears had dried on her cheeks. She went to pick up her glasses, and-

Aiko screamed. Her glasses, her only source of sight, were shattered. She climbed out of her hollow, hoping to find help, only to feel something explode in her face. She fell from her tree and was knocked unconscious on impact.


	10. Blue Moon Disasters

**Glad to know you're doing better, flowerpower71! It makes me happy to know you are feeling better. :D**

**Aiko speaks Japanese, Kenzie speaks French, and Sadie speaks Chinese. All of which will be explained LATER. **

**And, the beginning of the movie. Okay, quick note: when Smurfette, Sadie, Kenzie, and Janice are talking to Papa, he's already had his vision. I just didn't want to write it down.**

Chapter Ten: Blue Moon Disaster

Aiko was so tired, and her limbs were so sore…She sat up, looking around. She suddenly blinked; she'd forgotten during the short five minutes she'd been unconscious that her glasses were gone. As far as she could tell, they'd been broken beyond repair.

"I can't see…." Aiko was terrified. She was blind. No, this was worse than being blind. She could see color. She could slightly make out shapes. Everything was so blurred, so distorted, that pain was caused if she opened her eyes without glasses. She had a monster migraine.

She needed someone to mend her glasses. But which way would she go? She had literally no idea which direction to take. Deciding she couldn't just lay here, and knowing she couldn't try and climb back up the oak, so she tried to figure out which direction the village was using her hearing. It wasn't working. So, feeling stupid, she picked a direction and walked off.

=^.^=

Aiko collapsed under another tree about a ten minute blind walk from the oak. Her migraine was so bad she was clutching at her skull. "I can't see," she whimpered. She hated being so blind. She curled up. Hopefully someone would realize she was missing and come rescue her. "Gutsy," she whispered. "Help me, please, Gutsy…."

=^.^=

Gutsy looked around. He hadn't seen Aiko at breakfast, and it was nearly noon. If she didn't turn up soon, that would be another meal Aiko'd missed.

Surely she was hungry! Was she still scared of whatever she'd confronted in her dreams? Maybe, maybe, maybe…

Kenzie shook her head. "If she hasn't turned up by now, something's wrong."

"Definitely," Sadie agreed.

Painter nodded. "You should go find _ton ami_, _mon fleur_."

"Okay. You're right, Painter." Kenzie hugged him quickly. "I'll be back after I find her."

"No hurry, _mon fleur_. A job done carefully need not be repeated later." The French Smurf winked, before heading off to his studio.

=^.^=

The Smurfs ran to Aiko's hollow. They'd just climbed on the branch leading to it when-

"Wait a minute!" Janice picked up something yellow and torn, with a scrap of red clinging to a corner. "This is the wrapping paper on Jokey's surprise boxes! Did Aiko fall for one?"

"I doubt it," Sadie disagreed. "Aiko's smarter than that. Besides, she's seen through every other gift. Why would she fall for this one?"

"OH NO!" yelled Kenzie. She was in Aiko's hollow, near the corner where they'd left her to sleep.

"Wha'?" asked Gutsy. "Is Aiko okay?"

"No!" wailed Kenzie. "Look!"

"Oh dear," Janice whimpered.

"Wha'?" asked Gutsy.

"Her glasses!" Kenzie held out the bent, broken frames with a few shards of prescription lens still clinging to the rims. "She's basically blind without them!"

"We have to find her," Sadie declared. "Come on! We'll need Tracker and Silver Stars!"

=^.^=

The silvery-gray she-wolf sat with her tail curled around Kohaku. "That's wonderful, Coulter. I don't know how you manage with a brother and a sister!" She grinned to the visitor.

"SILVER STARS!" yelled Gutsy.

"Gutsy?" She turned away from three strange wolves that Gutsy hadn't seen before, who chatting with Storm and Quintelle. "What's wrong?"

"It's Aiko! Her glasses are broken and she's lost in the forest!" Gutsy was sure he was going to cry. "Please, Silver! We have to find her! I don' know what I'll do if she's hurt…"

"Don't worry. I'll find her." Silver turned to her mate and sister. "Oy! Quin, Storm!"

"What? What'd I do?" Quintelle asked.

"Nothing. Aiko's missing and she doesn't have her glasses. We have to find her."

"Please," Gutsy added. "I have to find her…."

"I'll help," Storm declared.

"Me, too," agreed one of the strangers.

"And us," agreed another one of the three. She was female, though, whereas the other two were males.

"And me." The smaller version of Kirara snapped, angry at being left out. She was much the same, except she was cat-sized and didn't have saber-toothed tiger fangs.

"Thanks, Coulter, Arcturus, Astral," grinned Storm.

"Kirara…." The demon muttered angrily. She didn't like not be acknowledged.

A breeze blew by then. "I smell her!" Silver yelped. "Gutsy! Come on!" Gutsy clambered onto the silvery female, and she dashed off.

=^.^=

Aiko whimpered again. She couldn't see…she hated this blindness. She had no idea where she was. Unfortunately, luck had not favored her. If she had been going in the right direction, she reasoned, she would have come to the village by now. But she hadn't, and she was forced to accept she was lost and might not be found.

"Gutsy..." she whispered, hoping against hope he'd jump out of the forest to save her. "Gutsy...please help me..."

=^.^=

"AIKO!" Gutsy yelled.

She was lying curled up under a fir tree, whimpering softly. He dashed to her side, fearful for her. "Aiko?"

She looked up at him. "Gutsy?" Her eyes were staring at him, but...It didn't look right. It looked like how a blind person might, staring at something, but not really focusing, not really seeing it.

"Are ye okay?"

"No..." she whimpered, curling up again. "I can't see...someone broke my glasses..."

"Why didn't you call for help?" he asked.

"I was going to," she defended. "But something exploded outside the hollow and I fell. I was going to try to go to the village for help, but I couldn't see and I got lost. I'm sorry."

"It's not yer fault," Gutsy told her, pulling her into a hug. "It's not yer fault somesmurf broke yer glasses."

"Oy! Gutsy!" They looked up to see Kenzie, Sadie, and Janice flanking a Smurf with a red cardinal's feather in his hat. "Did you find her?"

"Sure did, Tracker." The Scotsman gently helped Aiko to her feet.

"Watashi wa buraindo o kanjiru(1)!" Aiko shrieked suddenly.

"Great! She's speaking Japanese!" yelled Janice, exasperated.

"Hé wǒ jiǎng zhōngguó huà," replied Sadie. "Duìfù tā(2)."

"Tasukete! Watashi wa megane ga hoshī(3)!" Aiko roared.

"Calm down! Aiko!" Kenzie ordered.

Aiko suddenly began thrashing in Gutsy's grip. He released her, surprised.

"AIKO!" Kenzie yelled. She caught the girl's face in her hands. "Listen to me! Calm down!"

"Don't touch me!" shrieked Aiko, eyes wild and fearful, fighting Kenzie.

"I'm not going to hurt you." Kenzie murmured. She gently stroked Aiko's hair, soothingly.

"I…I want my glasses..." whimpered Aiko.

"Come on," Kenzie encouraged. "I'm sure Papa can fix them…."

Aiko suddenly broke down. "I'm sorry…"

"Yer scared," Gutsy murmured, hugging her tightly. "We understand."

"I…I…I hate this," Aiko whispered.

=^.^=

Back at the village, Papa looked at Aiko. "Can you see me?"

Aiko was looking about three feet to his left. "Yes."

"Wrong direction," Gutsy told her.

"Then what's that red thing?" She was pointing to a large apple.

"Not a Smurf, tha's fer sure," Gutsy replied.

"In other words, no," Papa clarified.

"Guess not. Color. That's as far I get."

"All right." Papa led Aiko and Gutsy into his mushroom. "Here we are."

It was dark in the mushroom and Aiko gratefully sank to the ground. Her migraine was making her nauseous, and the darkness was welcome.

"Are ye okay, Aiko?" Gutsy asked, kneeling down next to her.

"Nooo…." The word was drawn out and had an edge, like a growl, to it.

"What's smurfing you?" asked Papa.

"Migraine," she muttered. "Shut up…my head hurts."

"I see." Papa looked at the shelves of medicinal potions. "Ah, here's one." He picked up a light purple potion. It was a color-cross between lavender and violet. "Drink this."

"No." Aiko retorted.

"Why-oh. I get it." Papa said as Gutsy stroked Aiko's hair. "Hey." He leaned down next to her. "I'm not going to hurt you, Aiko. This potion will make your migraine go away. Wouldn't you like that?"

"I guess…." She replied hesitantly.

Papa held the vial to her lips. She downed the contents, wincing at the taste, and then curling into Gutsy's protective embrace. He gently lifted her up and sat down on the bed in the corner with Aiko still curled up in his arms. And then the tiny girl drifted off into Dream Land.

=^.^=

Aiko screamed. "Go away! I don't want you here! Leave me alone, Seth!"

"Oh, but Aiko," purred the horrible voice. "We've only just begun. Why should we stop?"

"Leave me alone," she whimpered, fighting as his strong hands clamped shut around her thin wrists, preventing movement.

"You're so beautiful, Aiko," Seth purred, his coppery hair falling into his eyes. "I've no idea why you're still…pure."

Aiko'd had two versions of this nightmare already last night, and each time it had become a dream.

"_Get away from her!" Kelly launched herself at Seth, lightning sparking at her hands. The bolts sped at him, hitting him. He disintegrated, and Kelly grinned in victory._

"_Ha! Never mess with me, Sethie." She grinned over her shoulder at Aiko. "You okay, girlfriend?"_

She liked the second dream even better:

_Seth advanced, forcing Aiko to kiss him. She whimpered against his lips, and suddenly he was gone. She looked up. Gutsy was glaring over a Seth Smurf, eyes blazing with fury. _

"_Don't you touch Aiko!" yelled Gutsy, anger clear in his voice. "Leave her alone or I'll smurf you!"_

"_Scary," spat Seth. "What would you do after you killed me? Tell her you love her?"_

"_Shut up!" Gutsy's fist connected with Seth's jaw. The copper-haired Smurf backed away, eyes glinting with hatred. _

"_I'll be back."_

But this wasn't a dream. This…this was a memory.

Aiko closed her eyes as the worst part arrived.

=^.^=

Aiko opened her eyes. The migraine was gone, and she blinked hard and rapidly. She had been staring at a candle.

"Aiko?"

She looked up to see _him, _Gutsy. He was smiling at her. "How did ye sleep?"

She hated to lie, but she wasn't about to admit she'd relived _that_ horrid memory. "Fine."

"Are ye sure?"

"Of…of course." She looked around. Everything was blurred color. She expected it when she woke up, but now she remembered her glasses. Broken. "Watashi no megane wa dokodesu ka(4)?"

"Um…Smurf language?" Gutsy asked.

She blinked. "Where are my glasses?"

"Here." Gutsy picked them up and handed them to her. "All fixed."

Aiko hugged him around the neck. "Thank you."

He hugged her back, surprised but pleased.

When Aiko released him and returned her glasses to her face, she began rubbing her arm absently, slowly dragging the material of the long-sleeved shirt up and down her arm.

"Are ye okay?"

"Fine," she lied, realizing what she'd been doing.

Papa came in then. "Are you feeling better, Aiko?"

"Yeah," she agreed, hopping off the bed. "I just have a bit of an itch on my arm. See ya."

"No, wait," Papa ordered. "Let's make sure it isn't serious."

"But-" Aiko protested.

"_Sit_." Papa demanded.

"Yes sir," she mumbled.

Once she'd returned to the bed, Aiko felt Gutsy gently wrap his arms around her. "Don' worry," he insisted. "You'll be okay, Aiko."

Papa Smurf rolled up the sleeve of the light blue shirt and gasped in horror.

Hundreds of cuts were etched across the dirty-blonde's arm. Thick, long, short, thin, small, it didn't matter, all sizes and shapes were there. As Papa and Gutsy stared at them, they wondered how much blood Aiko'd lost to the scars.

"Happy?" She asked icily.

"What's this?" Papa asked, in a determinedly calm voice.

"My life's story," Aiko retorted.

"Would you care to explain?"

"Would you care to leave me alone?" She shot back.

"I see." Papa backed away from the hostile girl.

"Good bye," she spat, hissing each word through gritted teeth. She walked stiffly outside and was suddenly attacked by the Smurflings.

"What do you think?" Papa asked softly.

"I 'ave no idea. And I would feel much safer if I wasn' the one askin' fer explanations," Gutsy replied shortly.

"Fine. I'll get to the bottom of this myself."

=^.^=

"You know," Aiko began as Gutsy walked out of Papa's mushroom, "I wasn't trying to kill myself. If I had been, I wouldn't have cut my shoulders. Or my wrists." She glanced at him. "It would have been my throat. Get it?"

"Yes," Gutsy lied.

"Now, unless you want something else, you can leave."

"Yeah," agreed Nat. "Aiko's gonna tell us a story!"

"Really?" Gutsy looked at her. "Ye are?"

"Got a problem with it?" She asked, stormy blue-gray eyes flashing.

"No," Gutsy replied quickly. "I just wanted to listen too."

"Fine. Sit down."

Gutsy sat down next to the Smurflings as Aiko looked at her hands. Then she put them out, palms facing the sky. Blueish watery flames appeared on her hands. "Once, long ago, the Earth was ruled by Darkness," Aiko spoke softly, her voice gaining a mystic edge, and the blue flames began purest black.

"The Darkness encased the Earth in its frozen shell, and nothing grew. The land was barren and diseased, no trees, no animals, no anything."

Many Smurfs had seen or heard that Aiko was telling the strange story, and a crowd was growing.

"And then, a goddess came." The flames took the shape of a white wolf with strange orange and yellow markings, like flames. "And the goddess was Okami."

The flaming wolf barked, and the Smurfs all gasped in amazement. Papa Smurf was watching, astounded.

"Okami was a goddess of light and warmth. The Darkness was angered by her presence, and the two fought." The wolf was confronted by the great black sphere Aiko conjured next.

"Their battle lasted many days and nights. All seemed lost for Okami…." The wolf became gradually bloody and beaten. But then she raised her head, as if to howl.

"Until Okami took the battle into her paws…." The wolf howled, and flames rose into the air. Real heat could be felt by Gutsy and the Smurflings. "The fire she howled took shape into that of a flaming bird." The flames did that, becoming a squawking flamed bird.

"The bird was a phoenix, the first and only of its kind. For every time the bird died, it would be consumed in the fiery inferno that birthed it…." The bird indeed went up in flames again after shaking off the flames. "And after it had been consumed, it would be reborn by its own ashes." A small red-orange bird poked its head out of the ashes of its predecessor.

"And so, with this bird's power, Okami set fire to the Darkness. It was banished, and Okami ruled supreme. She created life, and many things more." The flames showed the wolf raising a paw for plants and flowers to bloom at her will.

"Many things happened later. But finally, the Darkness rebelled Okami. He meant to kill her. Instead, she made a sacrifice. She cast the Darkness into the Sky, preventing its return to Earth. In order to keep it in the Sky, Okami became the Sun. No longer was she a shining goddess of Earth, for Okami forced to chase the Darkness across their new domain. It tried many times to seize Earth while Okami was protecting the other side…."

The flames became darkened as they pictured the Darkness descending on Earth.

"But Okami beat it back." Aiko's fire depicted the fiery wolf attacking the Darkness again.

"Finally, Okami conjured another being like herself. She took her own fur and sacrificed one of her back claws. This claw took power from her, and she placed it with the fur. Then Okami spent three days shaping the fur into another wolf goddess. She gave the wolf the Breath of Life…."

The flaming Okami breathed as directed onto the fur she'd shaped into a wolf pup.

"The new goddess was Okami's daughter, Mai. Mai became the Moon, as her mother had become the Sun, and she protected Earth with her own light. In the end, the Darkness gave up its attempt to take the Earth. But, ever cautious, Okami and Mai continued to race around the Earth. But, occasionally, they miss each other."

The bright Okami and the shining Mai stared around sadly in Aiko's palms. "And so, every now and then, Mai comes to see her mother. And that is why you see solar eclipses." Aiko murmured as Mai ran to Okami, burying her head in her mother's fur.

"That," Aiko finished, as the fire faded, "is the story of Okami and Mai. Also known as the tale of the Creation."

"Wow," Snappy praised.

"Cool," agreed Slouchy.

"Jumpin' jackrabbits! How'd you do that, Aiko?" asked Sassette.

Aiko winked and grinned mysteriously. "Magic."

=^.^=

Gutsy listened to Aiko, who was singing softly as the Smurflings listened to her. They had asked her to sing, and though she'd been embarrassed at first, she'd agreed.

"_In this farewell  
>There's no blood<br>There's no alibi  
>'Cause I've drawn regret<br>From the truth  
>Of a thousand lies"<em>

"What does that mean? 'Alibi'?" asked Slouchy softly. Nat shrugged.__

_"So let mercy come  
>And wash away<br>What I've done"_

Gutsy listened smiling slightly at her melodic voice. He was glad the Smurflings had insisted on a song from her.__

_"I'll face myself  
>To cross out what I've become<br>Erase myself  
>And let go of what I've done"<em>

Sassette smiled as Aiko sang, mouthing the words.

_"Put to rest  
>What you thought of me<br>While I clean this slate  
>With the hands of uncertainty"<em>

Aiko smirked at Gutsy slightly as she paused for a breath, almost as if she knew something he didn't.

"_So let mercy come  
>And wash away<br>What I've done"_

The Smurflings grinned at Aiko. She was so talented!

"Maybe she should be Singer Smurf," Snappy hissed.__

_"I'll face myself  
>To cross out what I've become<br>Erase myself  
>And let go of what I've done"<em>

Aiko made a face at the name but didn't stop singing. Instead, she looked to Gutsy and jerked her head at him slightly.__

_"For what I've done  
>I start again<br>And whatever pain may come  
>Today this ends<br>I'm forgiving what I've done!"_

"Be quiet," Gutsy hissed as Aiko sang her high note. "She's singing because ye asked 'er to. Now be polite an' listen!"

_"I'll face myself  
>To cross out what I've become<br>Erase myself  
>And let go of what I've done"<em>

"Sorry," hissed Nat. Gutsy allowed himself a faceplam.__

_"What I've done  
>Forgiving what I've done." <em>

"Happy?" Aiko asked, when she'd finished.

"Yes, very much," Gutsy replied.

"What song was that?" asked Slouchy.

"_What I've Done _ by Linkin Park," Aiko replied.

"What's Linkin Park?" asked Nat.

"A human band. They're, um, talents are singing and playing instruments.

"Like Harmony?" asked Snappy, making a face.

"Kind of, only they're more popular than Harmony."

"Big surprise," Sassette muttered.

=^.^=

"Aiko," Papa Smurf called.

"Yes?" Aiko asked, walking over to his mushroom.

"I saw your little storytelling."

"Oh boy. All right, what's wrong with me this time?"

"Uh, nothing," Papa replied, surprised.

"Really? Well, that's a first."

"How would you like to tell a story for the Blue Moon Festival?" Papa suggested.

"Really? Sure," Aiko agreed.

"Great. You can perform after the Smurfs do their dance later tonight," Papa smiled.

"All right, I'd better get smurfing, then."

=^.^=

Smurfette and the trio of smurf'd humans walked past Papa Smurf's mushroom.

"Oh, Papa!" She smiled.

"Ah, Smurfette," he greeted her, waving to the others.

"What did you see in your vision, Papa?"

Papa cleared his throat awkwardly. "Nothing apocalyptic, really. Everything's going to be just fine."

"Great!" Smurfette grinned. "Another year we don't have to worry about that mean, old-"

"GARGAMEL!" yelled Clumsy, racing for them.

"We know who she meant, Clumsy," said Janice kindly.

"No, no, GARGAMEL!" Clumsy screamed, waving his arms wildly.

Gargamel peeked through the shrubbery.

"I mighta sorta kinda lead him to the village," Clumsy added sheepishly.

=^.^=

Silver Stars was a large, formidable wolf. At least, compared to the Smurfs she was large and formidable. To a wolf, Silver was small and weak, but speedy and light. She was a small, agile lightning bolt, able to launch herself past her opponents without being deterred.

Astral was much the same. She was larger than Silver, with colors that stood out more. A reddish-brown wolf in greenery stood out more than a silvery-gray one simply because of the misty qualities of forests. Astral, luckily, made up for her bulkier size by being a silent, flitting reddish-brown shadow.

Her brother, Arcturus, was large and slow. He was built for strength, not speed, and was more likely to be goaded into a fight than Silver, Astral, or even Coulter. He was a strange, silent wolf who seemed to be embracing a _'speak softly, but carry a big stick' _policy. However, when angered, he was an angry, snarling spitfire.

Coulter was big. A bulky wolf with large paws and ears, Coulter had the look of a young, too-large puppy. He seemed to still need to grow into his massive paws and gargantuan appetite.

Standing in the middle of the Smurf Village, Silver, Astral, Arcturus, and Coulter had no idea of the adventures that were approaching them.

Lucky them.

=^.^=

Silver Stars snarled out a warning to her tiny blue companions as Gargamel jumped through their specially engineered Invisibility Shield. Silver felt a moment's annoyance; that barrier had taken them weeks and now a new method of protection would have to be devised! Wolves could only do so much.

Storm, Arcturus, Coulter, and Quintelle were hurrying the Smurfs out of the Village.

"Hurry now! Orderly fashion, please, you know," Coulter ordered, giving Vanity a slight nudge with his paw. "Hurry up there, Vanity," he snapped. "Your precious reflection can wait a few minutes."

Astral ran up to Silver. "What do I do?"

"Help Gutsy rough Gargamel up a bit," Silver Stars decided. "I'll set off the traps!"

Astral dashed over to the wizard. Waiting for Silver's cue, she heard the cat Azrael yowl in pain. Gutsy had been letting the cat chase him as part of the cat's 'bloodthirsty monster' act. So far, Azrael had been mostly unharmed, but Gutsy had chased him into a mushroom house.

Gutsy laughed, obviously pleased with his handiwork. "Hey, Kitty-Kitty," he laughed, tugging on Azrael's whiskers. The tabby flinched, and snapped at Gutsy in retaliation.

Suddenly, Silver's yowlish cue rang in the air. Tripping on the 'Blue Moon Festival' banner, Astral dashed for Gargamel. Papa Smurf was not far behind her, frantically digging around to make sure he still had his bag.

A small log narrowly missed Gargamel's temple. "Oh, Papa. Your primitive little defenses…they're usless against me." He paused, not knowing the tiny twig-like 'log' had a different purpose. "I laugh at them. HA!"

Astral jumped off of Gargamel just in time. A huge monster of a tree trunk came flying at Gargamel, slamming into him and sending him flying.

Astral and Papa grinned, as Silver Stars poked her head out of the foliage of the maple she'd climbed up to ensure the trap's success. "Did it work?"

The only answer she received was satisfactory: "How's that for primitive, Gargamel?" laughed Papa, before leading the way out of the village.

=^.^=

Standing at a crossroads as Silver, Astral, and Papa approached were Sadie, Janice, Kenzie, Aiko, Gutsy, Brainy, Smurfette, Grouchy, Kikyo, Kirara, and Coulter.

"What's wrong?" Silver Stars demanded, looking at them.

"Clumsy ran off for the Forbidden Falls!" Sadie explained.

"The Forbidden Falls?" asked Astral, sounding amazed. "At a Blue Moon? He's going to get himself killed!"

Nodding in agreement, Silver dashed towards the Falls. "No one had better follow me!" She called.

Too late. "I'm coming too," Coulter told her firmly. "It's my fault he went that way. I wasn't paying attention."

"It's not your responsibility to care for every Smurf!" Silver snapped back, but she shrugged, defeated.

They had reached the falls. The others raced in after them. "I don't know why I bother," Silver Stars muttered. "No one listens to me anyway!"

They suddenly started; was that Clumsy they could hear yelling? Sure enough, Silver looked over the edge of the falls, only to find Clumsy barely hanging onto a root about three feet down.

"Well, we tried," Grouchy announced from his spot next to the wolf. "Let's go home."

Silver Stars was about to bite him when Gutsy intervened with a plan. "Don' worry, laddie! We'll form a Smurf bridge to get you!"

He grinned.

Moments later, the Smurfs were clutching each other's ankles. Kikyo had one paw on Papa Smurf's hand, with Silver clutching her tiny, black-white-and-gray daughter's tail in her mouth. Astral had a hold on Silver, and Coulter was gripping Astral. Kirara held Coulter's tail firmly in her strong jaws.

"Technically speaking, this isn't a Smurf Bridge," called Brainy. "It's more of a Smurf Ladder."

"Smurf it, Brainy!" Silver Stars snarled through Kikyo's fluffy tail.

A swirling portal was opening before them. Janice, from her spot holding Grouchy's ankles called, "Okay! Who smurfed another spell with that stupid book?"

"Not me!" Everysmurf called.

"Maybe it's not the book's fault!" Silver spat. "We have bigger things to worry about!"

"Yeah!" agreed Grouchy. "Like the giant hole!"

"It's not a hole. It's a vortex," Brainy corrected.

"Smurf up. It's a hole," Grouchy argued.

"SMURF IT, YOU TWO!" snarled Silver Stars, just as Gargamel rushed in. He was about to capture Kirara when the Wolf Demon lost her grip, and, with all of them yelling in terror, the group fell into the portal.

=^.^=

1: I want my glasses

2: And I'm speaking Chinese. Deal with it.

3: Help! I can't see!

4: Where are my glasses?

READ AND REVIEW WITH YOUR FAVORITE LINE! REVIEWS MAKE ME TYPE FASTER!

ALSO CHECK OUT THE POLL FOR THIS STORY. GO VOTE!


	11. The Raven and the Dove

Hi, everysmurf! All right, I was just going to answer flowerpower71's question, but Aiko and the gang have been reading _Crafty Encounters_ and _Cupid's Arrow_, and they want to do the intro with me. So, here we go.

Aiko: Hi!

Sadie: Hey, everysmurf!

Janice: 'Kay 'kay! Alright, gang! I got us tickets to _Wicked_, so we're good!

Kenzie: Janice, why?

Janice: We're in New York! Why not visit _ Broadway _?

Aiko: Oh no, please don't tell me you're singing! I've had enough of that stupid Broadway!

Kenzie: Ah, yes. Aiko and Kelly were in the school production of _Wicked_, weren't they?

Question! Okay? On to the question, Smurfs!

Aiko: Oh, alright. From flowerpower71, the question is: _who is the person...spirit...whatever it was that was trying to kill Kelly and Aiko? That part confused me, but still a good chapter nonetheless._

Sadie: The what now? That doesn't sound like last chapter. I don't recall anything like that happening.

Chapter before this one. I meant to answer it, but I forgot. Anyway, Aiko, you wanna answer, or have Kelly do it?

Aiko: Uh…how would that work?

Just answer.

Aiko: Well, my interest is piqued. Let Kelly answer!

*YinYang snaps fingers*

(Everysmurf is now in Kelly's bedroom)

Kelly: Not to be rude, or anything, but…what the hell are you all doing here?

Answer this question! *Hands over review*

(Kelly quickly reads over review) Alright, Seth was Aiko's boyfriend. She found out I had a crush on him, and she dumped him 'cause she was getting sick of him constantly 'advising' her on her writing when he didn't even know what an apostrophe was. So we got together, he killed me, blah blah blah…Waitaminute.

Aiko: Wait, if he was there, he'd be dead, right?

Kelly: I think so-

SPOILER ALERTS, you two! SHUT UP!

Alright, question answered! Meaning, questions are WELCOME, and READ AND REVIEW. You have the time to read the chapter? Great! You have the time to review, too!

Also, poll up. Your opinion matters….

And, last mention, I promise. I am on deviantART, under the pen name Riverthunder. I plan on posting lots of Aiko, so check it out.

Allen, meaning: Noble

Zakia, meaning: Smart

Chapter Eleven: The Raven and the Dove

Everyone had a very uncomfortable ride through the portal. Silver Stars, Astral, Coulter, Kirara, and Kikyo had the worst end result, however. Janice, Sadie, Kenzie, Aiko, Gutsy, Clumsy, Brainy, Grouchy, Smurfette and Papa Smurf all landed on some sort of strip of bank. The wolves and Demon, however, were launched across the pond. Landing in the mucky water with loud splashes, each wolf paddled to the surface before spitting up long streams of water, looking quite comical.

"Tha'…was…great! Let's 'ave another go!" Gutsy cheered.

"Are you smurfed?" shrieked Grouchy. "We almost died in there!"

"I recognize this place," Janice muttered, "I'm sure of it."

"Good for you," Aiko muttered, wringing out her shirt from the large splashes which had soaked her. "I don't recognize a thing!"

"Let's climb over that rock and see if we can find anything," Sadie suggested.

"Good idea." Silver managed between large, painful coughs as her lungs tried to expel the water she'd swallowed. "I'm just going to stay here and try to breathe…."

The Smurfs scrambled awkwardly up the rock. Grouchy appeared to have made Brainy feel his 'intellect' was needed. "It wasn't a hole, it was a vortex," Brainy corrected in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Wonderful." Grouchy replied. "And why don't we just go _around _the rock?"

"Oh. My. Smurf." Smurfette whispered.

"I knew it! I knew I've been here!" Janice grinned. "We're in New York!" she announced.

"Oi vey!" groaned Aiko. "New York? Really?"

"Just a thought," said Sadie suddenly. "But we're in our own time, right?"

"Right," agreed Kenzie slowly.

"Then about when do you think we'll start getting big again?"

=^.^=

Gargamel stared angrily at the swirling portal. Hi Smurfs were in there! Maybe….

He glanced at Azrael. Maybe the cat would survive the journey through the portal. He was about to pick up the unsuspecting tabby when-

"Gargamel."

A thick, growling female voice spoke.

"Who is this?" called Gargamel into the shadows. "Who are you?"

Two crimson eyes appeared in the shadows next to him. "My name," growled the voice as the figure stepped into the light, revealing a huge grizzly bear. "Is Kagura. And I believe you and I have a common enemy. Maybe…more than one?"

The bear gave a toothy smile.

=^.^=

Azrael the cat suddenly shot out of the portal like a small bullet.

"Hopefully soon! Gargamel's coming!" yelled Janice. The Smurfs made a mad dash for a tree while the wolves and Wolf Demon ran for cover in the shrubbery.

Just as they'd made cover, Clumsy accidently bumped Aiko, already balancing precariously on the branch they'd chosen.

Yelping, Aiko fell, limbs flailing wildly, toward the speeding river. "HELP!" she shrieked, before hitting the icy current below.

"AIKO!" yelled Gutsy, before leaping into the current after her.

Aiko clawed violently at the water, gagging as she swallowed the liquid.

"AIKO!" Gutsy swam strongly to her, catching her with one arm. He then began swimming back to land, holding her around her midriff.

Once they'd reached land, she hugged him, and muttered, "Thanks, I…I can't swim."

"That's okay." Gutsy hugged her tightly. "I love ya, Aiko. I won' let anythin' bad happen ya."

Aiko blushed raspberry red.

"Aww!" They looked up to see Sadie grinning at them from the tree nearby. "Gutsy and Aiko sitting in a tree!"

"K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Janice agreed.

"First comes love, then comes marriage," Sadie snickered.

"Then comes a baby in a baby carriage!" Janice finished.

"Then comes a girl with a machine gun and an itchy trigger finger," Aiko threatened.

Suddenly there was a loud, throaty squawk. It was followed by an annoyed coo, and then-

Gutsy yelled in shock as a huge, pure black raven flew down to Aiko and Gutsy and snatched up the former with its talons.

"Whoa! Oy! Let me-" The raven cawed, interrupting her.

"Oy! BRING 'ER BACK! YA FLYIN' MAGGOT EATIN'-"

"Allen? How in the name of hell did you get to New York?"

The raven cawed proudly, before gesturing with one wing to a snowy dove sitting in a tree. The dove shook her white head before cooing something to the raven.

Silver Stars, Astral, Coulter and Kikyo all bowed deeply at to the two birds.

"I'm confused," hissed Sadie, leaning over to Papa. "What are they doing?"

"The raven and the dove are sacred to wolves. They represent the two gods, Canis the Creator and Lupus the Slayer."

"Hey!" yelled Janice suddenly. "Did anyone else realize when Aiko's mad she speaks in a British accent?"

"Really?" asked Kenzie sarcastically. "Now?" She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"They are all quite…odd, aren't they?" cooed the dove.

"Yes, Zakia. No kidding," Aiko purred, glancing down at the scuttling Smurfs. As Allen lighted down next to her, he beamed.

"Are you talking to the white pigeon?" asked Janice.

"_Pigeon_?" shrieked Zakia, puffing up her feathers. "_I'll have you know I have a pure-bred dove pedigree! Pigeon indeed! You feather-brained Smurfette, you haven't seen anything as pure-blooded as me_!"

"Calm down, Zakia! First of all, Janice, she's a dove, not a pigeon. And secondly, yes, I am. These are my Familiars."

"Familiars?" asked Gutsy, hopping on the branch next to Aiko.

"Yes, and I'm their Loyal. As Familiars, they have magical powers and such as well. They get more powerful as I do."

"_Quoth the raven, nevermore,_" Allen squawked poetically.

"Be quiet, you birdbrain, they don't understand you anyway."

"Uncouth!" Allen declared. "Doth thou claim they do not know of the great, the glorious, Edgar Allen Poe?"

"Uh, no."

"_Gaspeth!_" Allen crowed. "Can this be?"

"You know they're from the past, right? Edgar Allen Poe wasn't in their time."

"Come now, are you serious? This is a lie, is it not? You lie, no?"

"No, Allen, shut up."

"Indignity!" Offended, the raven spread his black wings and flew off.

"Uh, guys?" asked Brainy. "How are we going to get home?"

"Don't worry, my little Smurfs," said Papa soothingly. "I'm sure once the Blue Moon rises tonight, the portal will open again. In the meantime, let's stay calm."

"Yeah, guys," said Smurfette encouragingly. "Let's stay _smurfamistic_."

"You know what?" asked Grouchy. "I choose to be _pessismurfstic_. We're all gonna die."

"I'm with Grouchy on this one," muttered Aiko.

As Aiko, Zakia, and the Smurfs discussed Gargamel and the vortex, and the wolves patrolled, the raven continued to quote his beloved horror author.

"_His eye would trouble me no more…_" Allen mused.

"I told you to be quiet!" fumed Aiko. "Do you hear me? Zip it!"

"Wait!" Kirara raised her white, black-marked head. "Repeat that, bird."

"_His eye would trouble me no more_?" Allen questioned.

"That…that might be it," Kirara declared.

"you understand him?" asked Coulter, surprised.

"What? What might be?" Aiko asked, ignoring Coulter's question.

"Kagura," Kirara revealed.

"What does that horrid She-Bear Demoness have to do with this?" Silver Stars spat visciously.

Kirara looked to the she-wolf. "You're still upset about Jaiken and the tree, aren't you?"

"Of course, you think I'd let it go?" Silver snarled. "The second she sets paw in my side of the forest again, I'll kill her."

"No," Kirara said quickly, realizing Silver Stars thought Kirara was saying the she-wolf was a bad mother. "But, back to my point. Kagura has a great power."

"What kind?" Aiko asked sharply.

"Her eye can cause a rip in time," Kirara explained. "She is able to send herself-or others-wherever she wants them. She can also change their destination."

"I understood zero percent of that statement," Janice murmured apologetically.

"You could be, say, in America by Plymouth rock when the Mayflower landed and she could send you to Georgia after the Civil War was over, right?" Aiko asked.

"Yes, that's it." Kirara nodded.

"So the portal the Blue Moon created was altered by her so she could send us where she wanted us?" asked Papa.

Kirara nodded.

"Uh, guys?" asked Kenzie. "I think Gargamel's coming through the portal!"

As Silver Stars turned, her silvery gray fur fluffed up in fury. "Kagura!" she shrieked furiously. "Come! Face me!"

"Sorry, but…" Coulter shot forward and grasped Silver Stars scruff in his jaws.

"Hey! Leggo of me!" Silver protested, twisting about violently.

"Take the advice," meowed Azrael, shaking out his wet fur. The pack looked up to see him sitting up high in a tree, sopping from the river water.

"Hello, Kitty," Aiko said cautiously.

"She speaks cat now too?" asked Sadie, impressed and exasperated at the same time.

"Of course she does, it's Aiko we're talking about," Kenzie muttered.

Kagura was coughing up a stream of water when Gargamel turned to see them. "_Smurfs_!" he shrieked. "Azreal! Get them!"

"Run!" yelled Smurfette.

"_Quickly_, lads!" yelled Gutsy.

"And girls!" roared Sadie, grabbing Janice's arm.

"_Allen!_" Aiko screeched. "_Aerial Attack!_"

Allen squawked, his feathers fluffing up in amusement at the command. "As you wish, Loyal," he cawed.

The midnight colored bird flew at Gargamel, talons raised for an attack from above.

Just as the claws were about to make contact, a furious roar sounded behind the raven.

Kagura was about to strike him with one raised, huge, clawed paw.

"_Rrrawwkk_!" Allen screeched, and turned, flapping madly as he maneuvered out of Kagura's way.

"_Damn_!" hissed Aiko. "Brainy-san!"

"Huh?"

"_Duck_!"

Brainy did so and a bolt of blue fire-like energy shot out of Aiko's palm.

"_Audi Sirenum noctis  
>Inquam abscondas facies oculis.<br>Omnes Mali in hoc Mundus  
>Oportet invenire me Occultus et inauditum!<em>_" _Aiko shrieked, eyes blazing with utter fury and hatred.

"Whoa," Brainy breathed.

"_Gahh_!" Kagura roared. "She has hidden them! I can't see them!"

"I can't either! Azrael! Can you?" Gargamel demanded.

"_Mreowr_," Azrael meowed, though he was looking directly at Silver Stars.

"What did you do, Aiko?" Papa Smurf asked, dumbfounded.

"I have hidden us from all evil as long as we are in this realm, Papa-sama," Aiko replied respectfully. "Unfortunately, they will still be able to track us, as they may soon find. We must move quickly. If they were to catch one of us, the spell would break."

"So…what's next?"

"Hey!" yelled Janice. "Clumsy! Wait!"

"_He-he-he-help_!" Clumsy yelled as he slipped and fell in a box on a bench nearby. He had gone to the bench to hide from the wizard, bear, and, to a lesser extent, the raven, dove, and tabby cat.

"Today, of all days…." Aiko muttered. "Don't worry, Clumsy-san! I'm coming!"

She dashed forward, hopping onto the bench in one, quick, clean move.

"Alright, now-_yipe_!" Yelping, Aiko slipped, falling into the cursed box below her. "Ow!"

"Are you okay, Aiko?" asked Clumsy.

"I'm fine, Clumsy-san, but-uh-oh. That's not good."

"Are we moving?" asked Clumsy, sounding scared.

"Apparently, yes," Aiko confirmed. "Now let's just hope the others can track a taxi half way decently when they can't communicate with Allen or Zakia."

Clumsy gulped, and shuddered.

=^.^=

"This is so not a good idea," whimpered Janice.

"C'mon, ya sissy! Let's have an adventure!" Sadie yelled. "We have to get on top of that taxi, guys!"

"Are you sure?" asked Brainy.

"Trust me. What could go wrong? Would I lead you astray?"

"No, plenty, and yes."

"Oh, shut your face."

"She's right," Silver Stars confirmed. "You have to get on the taxi. The wolves will run."

"I don't think I'll be able to keep up," Kikyo argued, watching the cars speeding past.

"You're riding," Silver Stars smirked.

"And we," Zakia smirked, glancing at Allen.

"Fly," finished the midnight raven.

The Smurfs jumped onto the taxi successfully.

"_That way_!" roared a voice like gravel.

"KAGURA!" The Smurfy Clan yelled together.

"_Smurfs_!" screamed Gargamel.

The taxi suddenly lurched to a stop. Gargamel ran right in to it. Though they knew he couldn't hear them, the Smurfs couldn't resist taunting him.

"Ha! Nice on, Gargamel!" called Grouchy.

"Yeah, you've had that one comin' fer about thirty years!" Gutsy roared.

"Run, Coulter!" Astral called.

"I'm running!" Her brother protested.

"Hang on, Kirara, Kikyo," Silver Stars ordered, putting on a burst of speed.

"No problem, Mommy!" Kikyo called.

"Of course, Silver," said Kirara.

=^.^=

The whole Clan of Smurfs not currently trapped in boxes were watching the wolves in between pointing out green goblins and red trolls, which Kenzie insisted on calling 'the Statue of Liberty' and 'Elmo'.

But everysmurf let out a shriek.

A huge bus appeared, speeding for Silver Stars.

"_Mommy_!" yelped Kikyo, "_Look out_!"

Silver Stars turned her silvery-gray head too late, and was hit head on.

"_SILVER STARS_!"

=^.^=

Translation:

"Listen, Sirens of the Night,

Do as I say and hide my Sight.

All the Evil in this World

Must find me Hidden and Unheard!"

What will happen now?

READ AND REVIEW!

Add your favorite line in your review.

See ya soon, Smurffriends!


	12. Meeting the Humans

Sorry this is so late... Life has been getting in the way and I've had no inspiration to write this, mainly because I was stuck with Silver and Kikyo. But it's all fixed now, so sit back and relax. I have many more fanfics to write, so I don't know for sure when Ch. 13 will be up, but hopefully it will be much soone than it took to add this one. ^^;

* * *

><p>Gutsy and Silver Stars: Curse of the Demon Kirara<p>

Chapter Twelve: Meeting the Humans

* * *

><p>Aiko glanced at Clumsy. "Alright, just follow my lead, and we'll be okay."<p>

Clumsy tried to answer, but slid as the taxi jerked to one side, rolling toward Aiko.

She jumped easily out of his way, then growled, "And if you touch me, I will kill you and feed you to Allen."

"S-sorry," Clumsy mumbled, before slipping as the taxi jerked yet again, causing Clumsy to fall flat on his face.

"No need for apologies," Aiko growled, her voice fierce. "I've learned they don't mean much, anyway."

* * *

><p>Sadie, Kenzie, and Janice all huddled on the speeding taxi, terrified. The wolves had all fallen back as the bus hit Silver Stars and Kikyo, and now everyone was trembling.<p>

"What do you three think happened to them?" Papa asked quietly, looking at them.

"D-dogs bigger than Silver get hit by c-cars all the time," Janice stuttered.

"And?" Papa urged, worried.

"And they die," Sadie said flatly. "Cars are huge, and they have a lot of power behind them. Even Canis and Lupus might not be able to heal injuries caused by a car, especially if they went under the tires."

Silence fell over the group as the words trickled over them like ice water.

"Silver wouldn' want us to grieve over 'er," Gutsy managed at last, blinking back tears for his wolfish friend. "She'd say we should be more concerned wit' gettin' back 'ome."

"Gutsy is right," Papa decided. "We will rescue Aiko and Clumsy, then decide how to get back home."

* * *

><p>Darkness had long ago fallen over the cityscape of New York when the taxi finally pulled up next to an apartment complex. "Just great," Janice groaned. "Of course he'd live in THAT."<p>

"It's New York, not Oklahoma," Sadie retorted, her voice acidic. "Get some sense in your thick skull."

"Make me, you bitch," Janice challenged, her red hair seeming to crackle with electricity.

"Like the girly-girl would beat the tomboy in a fight," Sadie simpered.

"Shut your mouths, both of you," Kenzie growled. "None of us like this. Everyone is upset about Silver Stars, and Kikyo, but fighting among ourselves won't bring them back, or send us home."

The other two fell silent as Kenzie glared accusingly at them. "Learn from Aiko's example, the both of you."

Papa watched as the two nodded mutely, faces stony. "Aiko's example?" He questioned Kenzie.

"When Aiko's brother, Katana, disappeared, and Kelly died, she didn't get mad, like these two." Kenzie shot them another look of disapproval before continuing, "she just stopped showing emotion. They can show sadness, but bickering isn't going to get us anywhere. Until the can grieve without anger, they should control their emotions."

Papa nodded in silent understanding, gazing up at the moon his adopted, wolfy daughter had loved so much. "You're right…. Of course you are."

* * *

><p>Aiko shoved the flap on the box open, looking around. She'd heard the sounds of two humans speaking, but they were gone now. "Coast's clear," she called quietly to Clumsy. "I'm out of here."<p>

Clumsy watched as she skillfully wriggled out of the small flap, onto the floor. However, by the time he'd reached the flap as well and looked outside, the Smurfette had disappeared.

Clumsy began wriggling out of the box himself; he didn't want to be left without a guide.

* * *

><p>Aiko listened to the sound of some sort of chaos being reeked as she looked at the window. "If he doesn't get here soon, he's not coming with me," she muttered to herself, before whistling into the darkness of the night.<p>

Gutsy's head jerked up, the sound of a whistle from a story above catching his attention. "Aiko?!"

He watched as the black raven and then white dove circled toward a window. "HURRY!" Aiko's sharp, icy voice commanded.

"AH FOUND THEM!" Gutsy roared to the others down below, beginning to climb up the building. "AIKO!"

Aiko looked down, seeing him, climbing towards her. _No… No! NEVER AGAIN! NO ONE IS EVER GOING TO USE ME THAT WAY AGAIN!_

Aiko turned, diving into the house again. Gutsy stared up at the window, shocked. Why had she looked so terrified when he'd called for her? Did she find him threatening in some way?

* * *

><p>Aiko trembled, wrapping her arms around her knees, feeling a wave of fear crash over her. <em>How could I ever think I'd be safe?! I'm nothing; I'm just a toy for men! I can't go through that again!<em>

Aiko had hidden herself in a cupboard when she saw him coming. She could hear people scuffling about outside, but she didn't want to find out what was going on.

* * *

><p>"Well," Patrick managed, staring at the group. "Who are all of you?"<p>

"I'm Papa," the leader began, "and my little Smurfs are Brainy, Clumsy, Gutsy, Grouchy, and Smurfette."

Each Smurf waved an introduction to the humans.

"And you three?" Grace asked the Smurfettes, noticing Papa hadn't introduced them. "We were turned from human to Smurfette about two weeks ago," Kenzie explained. "I'm Kenzie. The red head is Janice, and the brunette is Sadie, and..." She looked around. "Sadie, have seen Aiko?"

"No. Isn't that why we just jumped through a window and all that?"

"Don't get smart with me," Kenzie warned in a dangerous voice.

Gutsy paused, listening. "Ssshhh..."

A few moments passed, before he heard the soft sounds off Aiko's whimpers. He edged toward the cupboard, gently pulling the door open. "Aiko?"

Aiko jerked back, horror flooding her. "P-please no!" she wailed, shuddering.

"Hey," Gutsy said quietly, gently stroking her face with his thumb, "Shhh," he soothed her gently. "Ah don' know why yer so sad, 'r so scared, bu' Ah promise yeh Ah won' 'urt yeh. Ah'm no' goin' ta do anythin' ta 'urt yeh, Ah swear."

Everyone watched in stunned silence, as Gutsy slowly coaxed the bespectacled Smurfette out of her hiding place. "This is Aiko Smurfette."

* * *

><p>Gutsy glanced over to the windowsill. Aiko was lying curled in Zakia's pearly white feathers, gently stroking Allen's black beak. She was obviously very comfortable with her Familiars, as she called them, but she was much more evasive when it came to him and the other Smurfs.<p>

"Aiko?"

She glanced over at him. "Yes, Gutsy-sama?"

"What's wrong?"

She gave him a wry smile. "It's funny how you pretend to care, Gutsy-sama."

"Who's pretending?" Gutsy asked her quietly. "I'm worried about you, Aiko."

"You don't really." Her voice turned bitter and cold. "You just want to make me your slave."

"WHAT?!" Gutsy stared at her, wide-eyed. "Why would you think that!?"

"My only boyfriend, and my dad. Why should you be any different?"

"Your... Father...!?" The idea that a parent had Aiko so afraid... He felt disgusted!

"Mother-Dearest never liked her little Aiko-ama," Aiko said softly, still stroking Allen's beak as the raven nuzzled her protectively. "And then she got tired of just making her cry via cutting. So she told Daddy-Dearest to treat Aiko-ama 'like the little sluttish whore she is'."

Gutsy felt shock flooding him. Slowly he came to realize just how much Aiko must have gone through... And how much he cared.

"When... when did he...?"

"My thirteenth birthday." Aiko looked away, feeling bitter. "He broke my bones before. I thought that was what he was going to do when he cornered me in my brother's room. But... He didn't. Every birthday after, he came up with a new torture. Like I got excited when my 'sweet sixteen' rolled around."

"Well..." Gutsy swallowed, anger flooding him as he thought of what Aiko's father had done, "Yeh don' 'ave ta worry about me, Aiko. Ah promise Ah'll protect yeh if anysmurf makes yeh uncomfortable. Ah... Ah really care about yeh. Please, if anysmurf makes yeh feel like... like they're tryin' ta make yeh do somethin' yeh don' want to, tell me. Ah want yeh ta be safe. Ah care fer you, Aiko. Really, Ah do."

Aiko glanced over to him, before nodding her head slowly. "_Aragato_, Gutsy-sama."


End file.
